Dirandau is my sister
by LadyThompson
Summary: What if Dirandau had become the dominant personality, instead of Serena?{Ch 10. Conclusion! Okay...now, I promise that after awhile, I'll go back, rename the chapters, and fix 1 and 2. I hope you enjoy this last chapter. Bon apetite.}
1. Chapter 1

{I do not own anything from the original "Tenkuu noEscaflowne" series. [How utterly redundant is that on a fanfic site?]  
Anyway, this story is dedicated to anyone who has been annoyed by the general consensus that Dirandau was turned back into Serena, and never heard from again.  
Live on, Dilly-sama! Live on!!!  
:-)And now, on to the fic..}  
Dirandau-Sama sat at the table, seething with anger. He looked around him. Flowers in a vase…sky-blue curtains at the windows…shelves full of children's books. He hated this place. He hated it all.  
Most of all, he hated Allen for dragging him here. As if losing everything he had ever cared about [his dragon slayers, his country, and his friend Jajuka] were not enough, now he had no choice but to live with Allen. Allen Schezar…..the name brought pain to his eyes.   
  
He gripped the wine glass in front of him. That was the only thing he was allowed that reminded him of when days were good. Wine, sweet wine…that which brings the slumbers of forgetfulness. He never used to get drunk, but now it was an all-too-common activity.  
  
He looked at the clock. Soon Allen would be coming back. Oh, what would the idiot have to say this time?   
Allen seemed to be under the impression that Dirandau was simply a state of mind, a phase, that Serena went through sometimes, and that she would simply come out of that state if he waited long enough. And if he talked enough about things Serena liked.  
Her old friends, who have long since grown up. Parties and holidays. Family get-togethers. Relatives. Nothing could have been more boring than that.  
"I swear, one more look through one of his family albums, and I'll rip his hair out!"  
He snickered, thinking about what a long job that would be.  
But, Dirandau knew he couldn't do that. He had to endure anything Allen put him through. He had no place else to go. Anyone else would try to have him locked up, or worse.  
"It's that dangerous creature from Zaibach….kill it…before it destroys something.."  
They all hated him, every last citizen of Gaea. That was fine with him. They could hate him all they liked, he hated them more.  
  
He looked down at the gilt-edged glass. It was empty now, as empty as he would like to feel. At least when you feel empty, you don't feel hurt. The pain washes away, and there is nothing left.  
Tick, tick, tick. The minutes moved by slowly. Nothing to look forward, nothing to hope for. Why didn't he just end it all now? Yes, that's what he would do…pass that great thresh hold from life to eternity. He smashed the nearby wine bottle on the table, and picked up one of the shards. {I'm sorry, Mandy, if I took the idea of him using wine-bottle-shards for Dirandau to kill himself from something you wrote….I can't remember at the moment if it was from something in our RP, so I'm leaving it in for now.}  
He poised his wrist in the air, ready to cut. He knew how to do this, he'd done it to countless others. He poised the other hand to strike. It stayed poised for a few minutes.  
With a sigh, he realized he couldn't go through with it.  
He tossed the shard to the ground.   
"What's happened to me?"  
He was certain he could've done this before….before everything was turned upside down. Before Serena came into his life. She was destroying everything. She made him weak, she made him vulnerable. She made him ill, and she made it impossible for him to control his feelings anymore. He would have done anything to be rid of her, but she had too much power over him.  
"I'll defeat her….I have to………"  
Odd that a little girl might prove to be the worst adversary he has ever known.  
The clock strikes one, and he can hear Allen's carriage pull up the driveway. Dirandau stretched. He was ready for Allen.  
  
"Ser…Dirandau?" Allen opened the door slowly. He was surprised to see Dirandau sitting in the same place as before he left.   
"I'm sorry I had to leave you alone today. I-"  
"I don't care," He snapped back coldly.  
  
Allen blinked. "Dilandau is my sister, Dilandau is my sister…," he kept repeating to himself over and over. "Patience is a virtue, and that virtue is the only thing that'll bring her back." He took a deep breath to calm himself, and sat down in a chair next to Dirandau.  
He was beginning to overcome the awkwardness of showing kindness to one of his worst enemies. The boy actually seemed nice, as long as he wasn't trying to bring the destruction of the world about.   
He noticed that Dirandau had put back on his old purple shirt and black pants. His eyes set in anger.  
"I thought we had gone through this. You're not to wear those anymore."  
  
Dirandau rolls his eyes.  
"Well, I might not…if the clothes you gave me were worth wearing…."  
He went to the closet, and pulled out an outfit at random. It was blue…quite frilly. It made him cringe to look at it.  
Dirandau: "You actually expect me to wear this?"  
  
Allen: "I wear things like that all the time. I don't think it's anything horrible that I'm asking."  
  
Dirandau: "You don't think it's horrible! If I had ever worn anything like this in Zaibach….."  
  
Allen leans against his hand. He's tired of fighting with Dirandau over things like this. Why can't the boy just accept that he lives here now, and has to follow Allen's rules?  
"Perhaps you would have suffered something. But no one will laugh at you here. Those are the highest in fashion."  
  
Dirandau looks down at them again. He can't help but grimace.  
"I don't care….I can't wear these….I won't!!"  
It almost seemed a violation to have to wear those…these were not his clothes.   
  
Allen: "You will wear them, end of story. If you ever want to leave this room, you have to. You are…part of this family now, and I won't have you disgracing us."  
  
Dirandau: "Part of this family?? No one even knows that I still exist…."  
He glares at Allen. His voice lowers to an ominous whisper  
"You think you can get rid of me by pretending I don't exist…you're wrong…."  
  
Allen: "That's not true…  
  
Dirandau snickers.  
"You want your precious sister back, don't you?"  
Allen's face turns crimson.  
  
Dirandau: "That's all this is….you think if you can get rid of me, you'll have her back. Well, I'm not leaving."  
  
Allen: "No one….I'm not asking that….That's not what I'm trying to do at all!"  
:: "How has he seen right through my plans?"::  
  
Dirandau: "I'm surprised you're not asking me to wear dresses…."  
  
Allen: "It would be undignified for a man to wear dresses."  
  
Dirandau leans on the table, staring into Allen's eyes.  
  
Dirandau: "I doubt that's how you see me."  
  
:: "He still has some of that madness in his eyes. It's dulled now, but it's still there…."::  
  
There was silence now. Dirandau continued to stare at Allen. It was as if he hoped that if he stared long enough, that Allen might melt away…  
Allen couldn't stand it anymore. He had to break this monotonous silence.  
  
Allen: "Well, I doubt you could blame me. I mean, you choose to wear a tiara. What kind of man wears a tiara?"  
  
Dirandau takes his tiara off, and looks at it.  
  
Dirandau: "The kind of man who doesn't care what others have to say about him, because he could crush them in an instant."  
  
Allen: "You can't crush anyone now, so why do you choose to wear it?"  
  
Dirandau walks over to the window, mumbling something about "Memories" He stares off into the distance. Allen walks over to him, and puts a hand on his shoulder.  
  
Allen: "You need to forget the past. Zaibach is dead. You're comrades are dead. You can never go back. Forget them all, and start your life anew."  
  
Dirandau shut his eyes. He felt his legs buckle under him. Didn't Allen realize how much those words hurt?   
Allen took the tiara out of Dirandau's hand. He did nothing to stop it.  
  
:: "It's working….I'm breaking through Dirandau's defenses….All I have to do is keep working at it. Time will get us through this. Time will bring her back to me."::  
  
Allen: "I'll do what I can to help you."  
With that, he walked out of the room, leaving Dirandau sitting on the floor.  
Alone….. 


	2. Chapter 2

PART TWO  
Dirandau took another swig of wine. He'd already had eight glasses. He was definitely a bit tipsy.  
He walked, as well as someone can in that condition, over to the window.  
There were bars on it. Allen had been afraid that Dirandau might decide to jump out the window at some point. He opened the window, and screamed at the top of his lungs.  
The sound could be heard anywhere on the grounds.  
Most of the servants had not been told that Dirandau was staying there. They were horrified. It didn't sound human….what was that terrible sound? Were they safe?  
  
Allen had been sitting at his desk writing when he heard the noise.  
"Damn him……what's wrong now?"  
He hurried to Serena's room, [To him, it would always be Serena's room, no matter who was staying in it.] trying his best to avoid the servants. They, no doubt, were very curious to know what was going on.  
He opened the door slowly, not knowing what to expect. Seeing Dirandau in a very frumpled frilly-purple outfit, sitting cross-legged and reading a book wasn't it.  
"Di…Dirandau?"  
  
Dirandau laughed quietly. He sounded cracked.  
"Allen Schezar…." He looked up at him, smiling. He then commenced laughing maniacally.  
  
Allen stood back. That look in Dirandau's eyes….it was worse than before… Things obviously weren't going as well as Allen had thought.  
  
Dirandau: "You care about me, right???" He stands up slowly, dangerously.  
  
Allen blinked. Was this a joke? He didn't think it was possible for Dirandau to actually want someone to care about him….that would be ludicrous.  
  
Allen: "Uh….of course………..of course I care, Dirandau…"  
Dirandau nearly falls down laughing.  
:: "So it was a joke….That Zaibach bastard!" ::  
Allen's eyebrows set in anger.   
  
Allen: "What's so funny about that?"  
Dirandau didn't respond for a few minutes.   
  
Allen: "I said-"  
Dirandau: "I heard you."  
He obviously intended to say no more. Allen couldn't look more confused, and Dirandau continued to snicker quietly. Allen couldn't take this much longer. He had been hoping to spend time with his sister, not some sadistic, psychotic little boy who probably still wanted to see him dead.  
  
Allen: "You have to answer my questions, or we are never going to get anywhere with this."  
Dirandau: "I don't have to do anything but stay in this room. I let you pretend to your friends I don't exist, and you leave me alone. That's the deal I'll make with you."  
  
Allen: "Damn-it!! I'm in charge here, not you! You can't make the rules! You are here on my hospitality, remember?"  
Dirandau smirks at Allen, and shakes his head; seeming to Allen as if to say, "You silly ass….you know who's really running this show…."  
  
Allen: "Give me some sign you understand what I've told you right now, or so help me…!!"  
  
He chucked the book at Allen. That was his sign.  
:: "You'll never defeat me….Allen…"::  
  
The book left a dark red mark on Allen's cheek.   
Dirandau: "Oh look….now we have something in common…."  
He put a hand over his scar, and commenced laughing again.  
  
Allen: "Rrrrrrrr……You little-"  
He decided not to finish that statement. He abandoned himself to rage, and charged at Dirandau.  
  
The two wrestled for a few minutes. Poor Dirandau fought as well has he could, which wasn't all that well considering how ill he was.   
Allen slammed Dirandau to the ground, and pinned him there by the shoulder.  
  
Allen: "Now, you listen to me…I won't-"  
Dirandau had his eyes shut. For the first time, Allen saw something….a deep-cut pain, evident on that young face. Maybe he hadn't noticed because it's hard to see an enemy's face in a guymelef…maybe he just didn't want to notice it.. It had never occurred to him that this..boy…could feel anything but hatred or that insane happiness which comes at the expense of so many other men. There could be nothing in-between. He had never seen Dirandau as human...not really.   
  
How could Allen deal with this now? It was easy before….he could think those things about Dirandau, and that made it alright. Dirandau didn't matter. The only thing that did was his sister. She was simply ill, and all he was doing was curing her of some terrible illness. If Dirandau were a real person, how could Allen possibly continue with this?  
  
Dirandau moaned quietly. Allen lifted him up, and held him gently.  
  
Dirandau: *Whispered* "You bastard...you broke my arm.."  
Allen's touch made his skin crawl. Everything in Dirandau reviled from being held like this.   
Almost everything. There was one small part of him, deep down, that wanted this.   
It was Serena…Damn her. Dirandau couldn't stand the fact that she had some power over how he felt, his emotions. They were his, and his alone. How dare she try to control them!  
This went on for an indeterminable amount of time.   
At some point, Dirandau began to feel that someone, something watching him. He turned his head slightly in the direction of the door. Eries was there, staring at them with those cool, passionless eyes. People always talked about virtue, doing what's right, and how people like him are wrong for doing or thinking the things they do. Yet, he often caught a look of murder in their eyes.  
He saw that look in her eyes now.  
The two stared at each other for a few minutes more. The light faded slowly from Dirandau's eyes, and he feel asleep.  
{I hope y'all have been enjoying my first fan-fic so far. More importantly, I hope it makes you think, and gives you something interesting to think about.  
Remember: Sticks and stones may break my bones, but flames will never burn me. J} 


	3. Chapter 3

PART THREE  
  
{I own nothing but the shoes on my feet, la-di-da-di-da...Since the Escaflowne characters aren't part of the shoes on my feet, then I guess I don't own them either.  
Thank you all for your kind reviews. I'm glad you like this work so far.}  
  
Dirandau stood in front of a mirror. He felt weighted down by unseen chains.   
He lifted his head, and looked at his reflection. It was not his own. It was hers.  
He was horrified. He tried to scream…but his throat felt constricted.   
He had to get rid of her, anyway he could. He picked up a nearby rock, and threw it at the mirror. He was shattered into a thousand pieces, along with her reflection.  
Strange people came along.   
They went to the mirror, deeply troubled and worried for her. They picked up the pieces and put them back together. He was ignored. No one cared to help him. They were too worried about a reflection, a glimmer of something that once was, but could never be again. He felt himself fade away.  
  
Dirandau opened his eyes. He'd been dreaming…He hates to dream nowadays.  
She's ruined so much for him already, must she ruin his dreams too?  
  
A doctor was fixing Dirandau's arm.   
Doctor: "Ah…so you're awake…"  
Dirandau: "Who are you??"  
He disliked people doing things to him that he didn't know about. He tried to push the doctor away.  
  
Doctor: "Just relax….I-"  
Dirandau bit the doctor in the arm before he could finish the statement.  
Doctor: "Aaaahh!!"  
The doctor fell backwards onto the floor in surprise. His arm was bleeding fairly heavily.   
Dirandau jumped out of the bed, and ran over to the window, next to the bookcase. He was ready to run if anyone tried to attack him. To his surprise, no one tried to.  
  
Allen was sitting by the side of the bed, looking confused. In the shadows, Eries was watching. Dirandau didn't know who she was, but he could tell that she would be trouble for him. It seemed that all the women in Allen's life caused trouble for him….  
  
Allen: "Dirandau…sit back down on the bed….the doctor is only trying to help you."  
  
Allen's plea's were responded to by a book being chucked at him.  
  
Dirandau: "You shut up!!!!!!! Leave me alone, all of you!!!!!!!!!!"  
Doctor: "Just calm down, young man…..No one is going to hurt you…"  
  
More things were thrown in Allen's direction. He tried to find something to block the objects. Lacking any sort of shield whatsoever, he backed out the door, leaving the doctor to deal with Dirandau. [Sounds of the struggle can be heard throughout this.]  
As soon as he turned, he comes face to face with Eries.  
Eries: "Allen, I am not pleased."  
Allen: "I can understand that, but-"  
Eries: "I gave you six months. In six months time, you would have to prove to me that there was no danger of your sister taking on any of Dirandau's traits."  
Allen: "Yes, but it's only been a few weeks  
Eries: "Nonetheless……Your sister Serena hasn't been here for those few weeks, has she?"  
Allen was silent.  
Eries: "No, no….she turned back into Dirandau the very next day, after you brought her home. You said that this wasn't unexpected, that she still had quite a few issues to work out…that it was only a short phase. It's been too long, Allen. I ask that you give up now, and save us all a bit of grief."  
Allen: "Too long? I've spent most of my life searching for my sister…I found her….and you say that a few month is too long to wait for her.??"  
Eries: "Sadly, I do."  
  
Allen slumped to the floor. What else could he do? He might lose his precious sister forever…. And, Dirandau…..well, he was someone too, he at least deserved a chance at life. Even if he was crazy and dangerous.  
  
Eries: "Allen, if we wait too long, and your sister doesn't come back, then Dirandau might escape. The people need justice. They need to be assured that people like Dirandau won't be attacking them anymore. After that long bloody war, the only thing anyone cares about is security. They won't care about your problems…and they'll probably want to see you executed too, for harboring the freak."  
  
Strange. He felt the urge to slap her for calling Dirandau that.  
:: "What is wrong with me?? I've said it many times myself…Why should I care if she says it? Especially after the way he's been behaving…"::  
  
Allen: "You promised me six months."  
Eries: "Things change…"  
Allen: "Please! Give me some time!"  
  
She sighed. A hysterical Allen Schezar was not something she wanted to deal with right now.  
  
Eries: "Very well….I shall give you a few weeks. In that time, you had better prove that your sister-"  
  
He looked at her strangely.  
Allen: "Well…yes, it would be very easy to prove that my sister was not a threat, I would agree to that. But, if she doesn't come back….I'd like to…"  
Eries: "Are you asking….you want to take care of him??"  
  
He nodded. Eries was completely shocked How could anyone possibly care about that….thing??  
But, no matter. It would be impossible. Dirandau will always be a threat, and there is no way that Allen can change him.  
  
Eries: "Very well. I give you a few weeks, you give me proof…….But I warn you: If he escapes during the time he is under your care, then you will have to answer for it."  
He bowed to her, and she left  
  
Allen shut his eyes. Rest would be welcome right now. Suddenly, he realized. There was no noise coming from Serena's room. It was deathly still. He opened the door.  
Before he could utter a word, he felt an arm wrapped around his throat. He could hardly breathe.  
  
"Allen Schezar……….You baka! First you break my arm…then you abandon me to a doctor…."  
Allen glanced around the room. It was in shambles. His gaze shifted over to the window. Below it, he could see the limp remains of that which was lately a doctor.  
"You're not doing anything to me. End of game, you lose."  
  
Allen's face turned slightly blue. Dirandau made ready to kill him. It would be perfectly easy. All he had to do was squeeze a little harder…  
Something stopped him from doing this. Something from deep inside him…It was her again.  
:: "Damn you, Serena!!!!!!"::  
  
:: "If you kill him, you'll be all alone. Please don't do that….please don't kill my Big Brother…"::  
He dropped Allen to the floor in surprise. The blond knight was nearly unconscious.  
  
Now she was telling him what to do… "It's getting worse," he told himself. It wasn't exactly tolerable to have her controlling some of his thoughts, but now she could speak…she could argue with him…..  
:: "It's all Allen's fault…with him around, she feels strong enough to push me down….I've got to get out of here…"::  
With that, he ran off in the direction of the front door.   
  
Allen lay on the floor a few minutes more. Why had Dirandau spared his life?  
There was no reason for him to do it. In Dirandau's eyes, it would have made things much easier. He had denied all this, in order to do the right thing.  
There was hope to change him, after all.  
  
{I'm sorry this one took longer than the other two chapters in coming. Hopefully the next one will be done quicker...[And, after reading the reviews, I have to say this:  
Please rest assured, Dirandau will not be turning back into Serena. I can't stand stories where that happens, and I hope the rest of this fic will show that.] *&*Happy trails, until we meet again*&*} 


	4. Chapter 4

{Did you miss me? Once again, I'm sorry it took so long. But, I think I made up for that this time by how long the chapter is. Three things I have to say for this chapter: Appearances are deceiving. Beware things that look like Mary Sue. Please read to the end of this chapter. }  
  
PART FOUR  
  
The streets were uncrowded. It was about two in the morning, and most people were asleep.  
  
Dirandau was wandering, aimlessly, through Asturia. He gradually reached impoverished part of the city.  
  
Something was bothering him…a nagging feeling.   
:: "You left him all alone….He needs me…" ::  
He glared at whatever was in front of him, which happened to be at the wall of a shed.  
"I don't care about him…I don't! I know I don't….I've always hated him….."  
He knew exactly where that nagging feeling was coming from. It was her….she missed her brother, and so she would torment Dirandau until she got what she wanted.  
"Damn you, you blackmailing wench…I don't care about you, either."  
Oh, how he wished that he'd never known anything about her! If only he could forget, she would go away, and he could be happy again.  
  
Dirandau continued to argue aloud with himself for a few minutes.   
:: "Now you'll be all alone…forever…"::  
It was a low blow. The lowest anyone could take with him. Allen was constantly using it to remind Dirandau that he'd better do as he was told, because no one else would help him. He shut his eyes.  
"Stop it….."  
The phrase repeated itself over and over again in his mind, echoing, and seeming to grow to a maddening volume. He had no more arguments. Only the desire to make her stop this.  
"Serena!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
He fell to his knees. The noise ceased, and he was afforded some peace.  
  
Gira, a young woman who lived near this spot, had heard this. She walked up to him.  
  
Gira: "Are ya alright?"  
  
He looked up, surprised that she had come so close. He shook his head "no".  
She sat down next to him, and put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
Gira: "Girl troubles?"  
He laughed. She had no idea how ironic that statement was.  
Dirandau: "Go away…didn't your parents ever tell you not to talk to strangers?"  
Gira: "Aye…My father did….when he wasn't dead-drunk, that is."  
She noticed how he was holding his arm.  
Gira: "Your arm….is it broken?"  
Dirandau: "….."  
Gira: "It is….come with me. I know how ta fix those…Got medical supplies at the house…"  
  
She held out her hand for him. He just looked at it for a moment.  
:: "I am a stranger to her, she has every reason not to trust me…yet she trusts me more than anyone who knows me.."::  
The idea of being trusted like that was novel to him, and so he went with her.  
  
Her house looked no different than those of her neighbors. All of them were broken down little hovels.   
It was strange…he would take the squalor of this place over the beauty of Allen's home. There was something about this girl that made him want to stay here.  
  
There was a second floor, but that had been rented out so that they might have a little extra money.  
  
She gestured towards something, which must have been a couch at one time. He sat down.  
Gira: "I'll be back in a moment…"  
She disappeared into another room.  
  
Dirandau looked around the room. There wasn't much, just a fireplace, a few crates, and some candles. On the mantle of the fireplace, there was a beautiful china doll. The beauty of it was brought out even more by the decrepit surroundings. The doll was Gira's. It was the only thing in the world that she had to call her own.  
  
She returned with a teakettle, a bowl, and a dull wooden box. She set these things down in front of the fireplace, then sat down next to him.  
Gira: "Here....let me take a look at that...."  
He was reluctant to let her touch him. She very gently lifted his arm, and looked it over.  
Gira: "Why...this isn't broken....just dislocated...don't take much to fix."  
Dirandau: "Good..."  
Gira: "But, it'll hurt. A lot."  
Dirandau: "......"  
Gira: "You ready?"  
He nodded, and shut his eyes.  
  
Outside, there were loud noises. Shouting and cursing, roughhousing, off-key singing…it sounded as if a local pub had just told all its customers to go home.  
Suddenly, two big burly men stumbled into the room. They managed to make it two steps before collapsing upon the floor.  
Dirandau reached his good arm for his sword, forgetting for a moment that Allen had taken it away from him.  
  
Three more men stumbled in, with a little more grace than the first. They looked down at the others, and began laughing.  
"We'll have to give Gobo and Dylan walkin' lessons in the mornin' …."  
They set them in a corner, and began making jokes about them.  
  
The last of this group walked in. He obviously had more reserve than the others did when it came to alcohol. He took one of the crates, and sat down next to the fireplace.  
  
It was now that the troupe noticed Gira and Dirandau.  
  
Samneric: "What manner'o'things is this? We leave ya alone fer a few hours …and ya take up the habit a'draggin' strange men 'ome?"  
  
Gira: "Oh, pipe down! He was hurt…I just offered ta help him…"  
  
Samneric: "I'll wager ya offered him more'n that…"  
  
She glared at him, but with laughter in her eyes.   
Gira: "I regret ta introduce ya to my brothers….Those two in the corner are Gobo and Dylan. The two   
tormentin'im are Kylday, Tilioque, and Gillian. And the big idiot o'er there on the crate is Samneric."   
  
Though their words were harsh, it was obvious that it was only in fun that they insulted one another.  
Dirandau had never really had a "normal" conversation with anyone…the closest he'd ever come to that was discussing things with Strategos, and even then the subject always pertained to battle.  
  
Samneric: "But, what about yer frien' here?….you ain't introduced 'im to us yet."  
  
She looked at Dirandau. It hadn't occurred to her until now that she hadn't asked him his name. She had simply seen was some innocent young boy in need of help, and decided to help him. That was all that seemed to matter to her.   
  
He whispered, "Dien" to her as if he'd used the name every day of his life.  
He knew that poor people always loved to gossip about the famous, especially those who fought in wars. It was a way of compensating for how pathetic their lives were. No doubt, they loved their country even though its leaders were the ones who caused them to live in this squalor. Her brothers would have recognized his name, and would be the most likely of all people to turn him in to the authorities without another thought.  
  
Samneric: "Dien, huh? That's a queer name, if I ever 'eard one….but then, the rich is always queer…"  
Dirandau: "What makes you think I'm rich?"  
Samneric: "Them frilly clothes 'a yers…."  
  
Dirandau hadn't even thought to look at what he was wearing until now. He must have put it on when he was drunk. That would account for how frumpled it was.  
That, and it would be the only way to make him put on the god-awful thing. He vowed to never leave that closet door open again when he was in a drinking mood.  
  
Dirandau: "Regardless of what my appearance makes you think, I have no money…"  
He thought he saw signs of disappointment on Gira's face.  
Kylday: "Well, 'a course 'e ain't wealthy…them sorts never come down this way…'e's probably a servant…"  
Dirandau: "Yes, of course I am…."  
Samneric: "That figures…yer so weak, yer suited fer nothin' else but servin' them rich fops."  
Dirandau: "That's not true! I can do lots of things."  
Samneric: "Like what? I'd wager ya never set foot outta the 'ouse you work in."  
Dirandau: "I am a soldier."  
  
The others brightened at this. They had fought in the war [There was hardly a man in Asturia who hadn't.]. They began to question him eagerly. Dirandau was all too willing to tell them stories of his exploits. The next few hours were spent swapping experiences and war stories.  
Gira lit a fire, and began to make tea. Her gaze continually traveled to rest on Dirandau. Her eyes sparkled as she watched him. There was something about him that was brought out by this talk…something exciting and wonderful….  
  
Kylday: "Now, I wish I could'a seen ya in one o' them fights…Ya say ya was there 'till the very last hour o' fightin'?"  
Dirandau nodded.   
  
Gira: "Oh!! Then…did ya see Serena Schezar?"  
Dirandau: "No…."  
::"She could ask me anything…and she wants to know about her???"::  
Gira sighs.  
Gira: "That's too bad….I've heard that she's really beautiful…"  
Dirandau glared at her. She didn't notice. She was off in her own little world of fantasy.  
  
Gira: "Those Schezars are like something out of a fairytale…I hear that she is so beautiful, Allen keeps her under lock and key, for fear that some daring young man will run off with her…."  
Gira was practically waltzing around the room.  
Dirandau grit his teeth. It was a great insult that she considered Serena more interesting than him. He might not have cared much, but that everyone else he knew believed the same thing. He was tired of hearing about Serena's wonderful qualities.  
::"That girl had been kidnapped when she was seven….what could she have possibly done in all that time?? I've humbled countries, defeated so many people….why do I have to compete with a pathetic little girl???"::  
Samneric watched him with an eyebrow raised.   
  
Gira: "Imagine….a maiden, cursed under a spell for fifteen years…And a valiant knight comes to her rescue, saving her from a depraved monster...that horrible, horrible creature…"  
Gillian rolled his eyes.  
Gillian: "Ah, please…don't get started on about 'im again…"  
Gira: "But, it's true…he's horrible, and if I ever met him, I'd…I'd kill him…I mean that……Heh, after all those things he's done, I don't see how anyone could be mad at me."  
Dirandau: "Who are you talking about?"  
Gira: "That….that….Dirandau…rrrrrrrrr……I mean, he burns down innocent countries without another thought…He's a wretch, and I'm glad we don't gotta worry 'bout him no more. The world's a much better place without him. "  
  
He folded his arms acrost his chest.  
::"Why did I even bother to follow her?"::  
He was angry for letting himself be fooled like this. No one will ever accept Dirandau Albatou. They may accept him, if he changes what he appears to be, but they will never accept who he really is.  
  
Dirandau: "And what would you tell him if he were here right now?"  
She laughed.  
Gira: "Well, I don't know for certain….but you can bet it'd include a lotta bad words…"  
The others laughed along with her. It took them a moment to realize that Dirandau remained silent. He was glaring at her.  
He stood up.  
  
Dirandau: "Don't be so sure that he would listen….I'm certain that if you ever said anything like that directly to him, he'd sever that pretty little head from your shoulders."  
  
Gira's eyes were wide. It terrified her to hear him talk like that. Her brothers were, to say the least, confused. After hearing Dirandau talk so excitedly about fighting Zaibach, and now he was defending the worst of them?  
Samneric stared at Dirandau. He was angry that anyone could speak that way to his sister.   
  
Dirandau: "I see now that I am not welcome here….I'll leave before I offend any of you furthur."  
His words were bitter as sage. They cut right through Gira's fragile little heart. She burst into tears. Kylday put an arm around her shoulder to comfort her.  
  
Dirandau walked down the street, bent on forgetting everything that had been said there. Everything but the pain it brought him. He would use that to remind himself never to believe in anyone again. If he didn't believe in anyone, they couldn't hurt him. He would never let them hurt him…..a good soldier never allows the enemy any advantages which could easily be taken away.  
  
He was half-way down the street, when Samneric caught up to him. Gillian, and Tilioque weren't far behind. Samneric grabbed Dirandau by the arm, and threw him to the ground.  
  
Samneric: "So….ya find pleasure in mistreatin' darlin' little girls like my sister?"  
Dirandau tried to respond, but was prevented from doing that by a smack in the face.  
Samneric: "Don't worry..I'll make sure ya never hurt no little girls like that again….ya menace…"  
The others caught up with Samneric, and they proceeded to beat-up poor Dirandau.   
  
A figure in a dark blue cloak approached this part of the alley. The four brothers didn't notice.   
  
"So…you don't do enough brawling in the bars. You have to take your fighting to the streets?"  
They turned to look at the figure. They knew who it was….and obviously not in a good way.   
The figure gestured for them to leave. Samneric began to protest, but was silenced when the figure held up his hand in a clenched fist. The brothers went home without another word.  
  
Dirandau had just enough strength left to curl up into a ball. The figure slowly approached him.  
"I've been looking for you.."  
Dirandau tried to take a swing at him.  
Dirandau: "I didn't do anything to your sister!!"  
The figure lowered the hood of his cloak, revealing long blonde hair.  
"I'm beginning to think you're right…"  
  
He picked up Dirandau, and began the long walk home.  
  
{This chapter was a bear to write, probably because I used people of my own creation. So, I probably won't be making any for a long time. Gira is my complaint against all those fics where people fix Dilandau up with a Mary Sue. They just irk me. Anyway, I'm hoping people will have read this whole chapter even if they thought it was turning into an MS fic. Happy trails.}  
[Ps.: Yes, I did take Samneric's name from Lord of the Flies...:-)Too much of English class.] 


	5. Chapter 5

{I really wish that I had more time to work on this....I'll just have to give up sleeping from now on.}  
  
PART FIVE  
  
The room was dark. Dirandau awoke with bandages on his face, and on his arms.  
He felt sore all over, like he did when he first began training in the army. He sat up.  
  
Dirandau: "Where am I?"  
Allen: "You are at home…"  
Dirandau: "Al…Allen?"  
  
Allen was seated at the window. The moonlight streamed down over his shoulders. He appeared like a shadow. His head bowed slightly in despair.  
  
Dirandau: "How did-"  
Allen: "I'm sorry that you had to meet the Seraphim family…I had hoped to keep you from people like that."  
Dirandau: "You know them?"  
Allen nodded shamefully.  
Allen: "From my past…We used to work together, after my mother had died.."  
Dirandau: "What line of work?"  
Allen: "……………."  
Dirandau laughed lightly. This was the first time Allen seemed to be reluctant to share something with him.  
Dirandau: "So, you have secrets in your past…..this should be interesting to hear about…"  
Allen: "What makes you think I'll be telling you anything?"  
Dirandau shrugged his shoulders.  
Dirandau: "You love to hear yourself talk…and you always make me listen to you…as if I were interested. You'll tell me sooner or later."  
Allen: "But, I never tried to tell you anything…I mean.…."  
  
Dirandau glowered at Allen. What did he expect? For Dirandau to sit by in silence, and pretend he hears nothing? Probably.  
Allen seemed to believe that he could 'speak'to Serena through Dirandau…why did the man have to be such an idiot?  
  
Allen: "Please…let's just drop the subject."  
Allen had other things on his mind right now. Eries may have found out that Dirandau had gone off into the city. He wouldn't find out until two days later. She would be coming by then, to check on how things had progressed. Thus far, she was unimpressed with Allen's ability to keep Dirandau under control. This incident might destroy any faith she has left in him.  
Dirandau sat on the bed with his arms crossed, glaring at the ceiling. Allen resumed his place by the window. He gazed out into the distance, trying to figure out this whole mess.  
  
An hour or so went by like this. The silence angered Dirandau. There should always something happening, something going on.   
  
Dirandau: "What are you waiting for???"  
Allen: "What makes you think I'm waiting for something?"  
Dirandau: "Well…you're just sitting there, doing nothing. Nobody does that unless they're waiting for something…….What is it?"  
Allen laughed.  
Allen: "You're telling me you've never just sat down to think, unless you were waiting for something?"  
Dirandau: "Of course not!…it's a waste of time…I've always had better things to do.."  
Allen: "You think going off to torture people and burn down countries is a better use of time than not doing anything?"  
Dirandau: "It's only the pathetic ones who say things like that…people whose lives are wasted and pointless…….Well, I suppose that it makes sense that you're saying it, then…"  
Allen: "My life is not pointless!!"  
Dirandau: "Oh, but it's worthless, at any rate…at least you don't try to deny that."  
Dirandau chuckled. It was fun to get a rise out of Allen. The sap was so easy to annoy…. He took everything seriously.  
  
Allen: "What the hell is your problem, anyway?"  
Dirandau: "Ooh….breaking out the swear words…you must be mad."  
Allen: "………."  
Dirandau: "And you're one to be asking what my problem is…You're the idiot who's obsessed with a dead sister he hardly knew..."  
Allen: "She's not dead…and I did know her…very well"  
Dirandau: "What did you know? That she was happy, she liked fancy party dresses and to pick wildflowers, and she liked you?"  
Allen: "She loves me….There's more to it than that….You don't know anything about her…"  
Dirandau: "No, you don't know anything about her. She's….she's…"  
Dirandau saw that Allen wasn't even listening, and ceased talking.  
  
The mention of Serena had put a smile on Allen's face. He had often imagined what life would be like for her if she had grown up in Asturia.   
  
Allen: "She'd be a proper young girl, that's for certain.…and adored, too. Everyone who knew her loved her…She was so sweet and innocent. I think she picked flowers simply because she wanted something equally as sweet and innocent to look at….she's an angel…"  
  
Dirandau shut his eyes.   
Dirandau: "You don't understand. She's not sweet…..She torments me…day and  
night.......constantly....she's never going to stop........no one wants her to stop....no one except me......."  
He pulled his feet up close to him, and lay his head down on his knees.  
Dirandau: "She wouldn't even leave me alone...when my Dragonslayers were….killed.........no, she used that to her advantage, too...she tried to kill me then…she's a demon."  
  
Allen didn't know what to say. He'd never really considered the boy's feelings, or what he might be going through.::"He's lost everyone he's ever had any feelings about whatsoever. He's lost his country. He has nothing left but himself...and he's in danger of losing that too."::  
  
Allen had never realized how alike he and Dirandau could be.  
  
  
Dirandau began to shiver. He was close to completely losing it. Everyone else had thus far succeeded in driving him towards the edge...  
::"All someone has to do now was push him off."::  
  
Allen walked towards Dirandau slowly. It occurred to him that he now had the opportunity to get rid of Dirandau forever, and have Serena back. He'd been working towards this for weeks...breaking down Dirandau's defenses...waiting. But, that was before he realized that Dirandau was a real person, that he'd be killing the boy.....  
  
He hesitated for a few moments. Should he save his dear sister, or Dirandau?  
  
His choice was clear.  
:: "She'll understand….she cares so much more about everyone else than herself….she'll understand why I do this…"  
  
He sat down next to Dirandau, and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
Dirandau: "Go away…..go…..leave….."  
His voice was small, weak.  
  
Allen: "No…I won't leave you."  
Dirandau: "Haven't you listened to a word I've said? I'm not Ser-"  
Allen: "I know that. I know you're not her. She's gone, she can't ever come back…maybe it's better that way. I want to help you."  
  
Dirandau looked up.  
Dirandau: "Why?"  
  
Allen: "The whole world is against you. I've been through that, and I won't let another person endure it if I can stop it…"  
  
Dirandau stared out the window.  
::"What is this? Some new strategy?"::  
Certainly…Allen must be planning to gain Dirandau's trust, then have an easier time of destroying him.  
He wanted badly to trust Allen's words. He was tired of fighting a losing battle with everyone and everything around him. But, he knew all to well that they could never be true. He reminded himself of the promise he made yesterday, and strengthened his resolve not to allow Allen to defeat him.  
  
Allen began thinking of the work that lay ahead….convincing Eries that Dirandau was not dangerous; making his friends accept an enemy; and helping Dirandau adjust to this new life. He would approach this just as he would any fight…with courage, determination, and noble intentions.   
It would be long and difficult. They had two days before it all began…He'd use those two days to try and get to know Dirandau further.  
He stood up.  
  
Allen: "So…I'm sure you're tired of staying in this room…Care to take a look around the grounds with me?"  
Dirandau nodded.  
  
::"I'll play along with this bastard…I'll beat him at his own game."::  
  
Allen: "Very well…I'll tell give the servants the day off, and then I can show you everything.."  
He still didn't want the servants to know. They were too apt to gossip about it. The public would find out, and Eries wouldn't allow Allen any more chances.  
  
Dirandau watched Allen leave.  
"Of course…..you want to help me, you care about me…but you're still not going to tell anyone about me?"  
  
::"Lying is not your strong point, Allen Schezar…"::  
  
  
{So, Allen finally accepts Dirandau...yay.   
As I said in the description of my fic, I'm accompanying a choir, and that means I don't have much time to work on this until the concert is over with (I've been neglecting my practice for this too much already.)   
I've got lots more fun planned for everyone in this story, so I hope you'll stay tuned for my next update.} 


	6. Chapter 6

{I was going to fiddle around with this chapter some more....but I decided that I've spent enough time. [Eheh...this might have something to do with Fred the chicken, Feye.:-)]  
  
I've become tired of doing the usual, "I'm so sorry I haven't updated in awhile!" and "Thank you ever so much for the reviews!!!" Though I always do mean that, I think it gets quite boring....So, from now on every chapter will have a sponsor, of which one of the characters is a spokesperson.  
  
  
This chapter of "Dirandau is my sister" is brought to you by Fire's Gleam Toothpaste....Fire's Gleam, for that dazzling white smile.  
[Dirandau-sama is the spokesperson for this product...just look at some of those pictures of him where he's smiling.....He'd be perfect for it.]  
  
Now for the fic...Bon Apetite}  
  
  
  
PART SIX  
  
  
They were in the study.  
Allen was taking care of Natal, watching Dirandau out of the corner of his eye.  
He sighed.  
::"I don't think I can do this on my own…"::  
  
Dirandau was seated at a table, shredding papers to bits. His eyes were wide, and he was shivering with fear.  
::"The bastard did that on purpose…"::  
  
They had just come from the garden, where Dirandau had pitched a fit.   
  
  
Allen had been discussing the many flowers. He knew quite a lot about them...he had devoted a great deal of time to studying them. It made him feel a little better to think that he could keep the spirit of his mother and sister alive through the garden that they had loved so much.  
  
Throughout the lecture, Dirandau had felt slightly uncomfortable and ill. He didn't give much thought to it. He simply attributed it to the god-awful sludge that Allen called conversation, and tried to ignore it.   
He wondered if this was how someone felt when they were on the verge of being bored to death.  
  
Everything was fine...well, maybe not fine...these people are never fine... Everything was normal until Allen came across a striped dark yellow flower with tear shaped petals.....Serena's favourite. Allen handed one of its blossoms to Dirandau, so that he might have a better look at it.   
He stared blankly at it for a moment, and then he became completely psychotic…as if he had just been attacked.  
  
Allen had great difficulty in calming Dirandau enough to drag him away from the garden. He tried desperately to keep Allen away, screaming and clawing at him. It was like dealing with some kind of wounded wild animal.  
  
  
  
Allen: "Dirandau?"  
  
Rip, rip, rip……Dirandau ignored him. How dare Allen even try to talk to him, after what had happened?? Allen must have known that would happen….that was why the man looked so upset. He wasn't concerned at all about what Dirandau was going through, just mad that the plan hadn't worked out…  
  
::"Rrrrr....isn't there any way that Dirandau will let me help him?????"::  
He couldn't possibly help Dirandau, when Dirandau wouldn't tell him anything of what was wrong. There was only so much he could do by deciphering Dirandau's problems from the sarcastic, often morbid jokes and intense insults.  
It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he wouldn't be able get anywhere with Dirandau. Very well then...he'd leave the stress of all this for a little while. Maybe he would be more effective later.  
  
Allen: "Fine…you want to ignore me...that's just fine. I'll leave you alone, then...that's what you really want."  
  
Natal squawked as she watched Allen leave. She didn't want to be left alone with Dirandau. She was terrified of him.   
  
Almost heedless of Allen's departure, Dirandau continued to shred papers.  
"Go right ahead, damnit...I'm alone even if you are here......"  
  
He suddenly felt something strange...it was that feeling he'd had in the garden. He shivered.  
::"You pushed him away again...you pushed my brother away.....You'll pay for that......You'll pay for everything you've done....monster."::  
  
Everything he'd done....there was nothing that he had done that wasn't connected to some other person's motives, some other person's wants. Even burning down countries, and chasing after Van when Folken had told him not to...he would never have started doing these things unless Zaibach had wanted him to.   
  
Now these others were gone, and he was left to take care of what they had left behind....like some poor sap who's been stuck with the check at a restaurant.  
He laid his head down on the table.   
"Why am I the only one who has to pay???"  
  
  
  
  
Gaddes had just finished climbing over the garden wall. He knew that all the servants were gone, and that there would be no one else but Allen to come to the door. He hadn't wanted to bother the boss with answering it, so he'd just snuck over the wall. It was like what he used to do when he had scheduled a 'meeting' with a girl, and her guardians didn't exactly approve.  
  
Allen had given all his men the order that they were to stay away until further notice....but Gaddes had an excuse. He had to deliver a letter. Besides, Allen wouldn't mind his right-hand man coming to visit him.....  
  
He walked into the study. He halted when he saw that a young man was in there, and it wasn't Allen. Then he remembered...Serena....  
::"Perhaps she doesn't like the idea of long hair and dresses....that's why she's got such short hair, and dresses in boys clothing. That's why I thought she was a boy...."::  
  
He approached slowly, until he was standing right behind Dirandau.  
Gaddes: "Uh....miss? I don't think you remember me, but-"  
Dirandau jumped out of his chair, and whipped around to face Gaddes.  
Dirandau: "Miss????"  
Gaddes stepped back in surprise. Dirandau slammed him to the floor. Gaddes reached for his sword, but Dirandau got to it before he could. He slashed Gaddes across the shoulder.  
  
Dirandau: "So, now rag-tag criminals break in here to insult me??"  
Gaddes stood up, and backed away. He had been caught completely off-guard.   
Gaddes: "Uh.....Dirandau?"  
Gaddes backed up some more.  
Gaddes: "Can we....talk…about this?"  
Dirandau charged at him, and slashed him across the leg.  
Dirandau: "My sword does the talking for me…"  
  
The two fought for quite awhile. Natal was squawking louder than ever, which alerted Allen to a problem. He groaned.  
"What now???"  
  
Dirandau now had Gaddes backed into a corner. He moved in slowly…intending to kill.  
  
Dirandau: "Pathetic...absolutely useless..…too bad you didn't last longer. I won't even remember this fight five minutes from now, it was so short.."  
  
He raised his arm to strike. Something held him back.  
"Now, now…I don't think you really want to do this."  
Dirandau: "Wha…what?"  
He had been so engrossed in fighting that he hadn't noticed Allen walk up behind him.  
::"How does Allen do that????"::  
  
Allen gripped Dirandau's hand, forcing him to drop the sword. Allen then pulled his arm behind his back, and restrained him.  
It was pointless to struggle, but Dirandau did it anyway.  
  
Allen: "Obviously manners weren't considered an important part of your training…didn't anyone tell you that it makes a horrible first impression on someone if you try to kill them on your first meeting?"  
  
Allen waited until Dirandau calmed down to let him go.   
Dirandau turned away from the two, trying to hide his embarrassment at being defeated like that.  
  
Allen: "Gaddes, what are you doing here? I told everyone to stay away until further notice."  
Gaddes had been standing there with his mouth gaping open. It took him a moment to get over his surprise at the attack, and answer Allen's question.  
Gaddes: "I have a letter from Eries….and I didn't think you meant your second-in-command when you said that you wanted everyone to stay away."  
Allen stared at the letter in Gaddes' hand, dreading its contents.   
  
::"She must have found out…she has written to inform me that she is taking Dirandau away."::  
  
Dirandau turned and stared disbelieving at Gaddes on the phrase, "second-in-command"  
Dirandau: "This…is one of your soldiers?"  
Allen nodded. Dirandau couldn't help but laugh.   
  
He went up to inspect Gaddes' "uniform".  
Dirandau: "Pathetic…just like everything else of yours, Allen……."  
Gaddes slapped Dirandau's hand away. He glowered at Gaddes.  
  
Gaddes: "Boss, how do you deal with the little brat?"  
Allen smirked.  
Allen: "Lots of patience….and a lot of fire insurance."  
They both laughed. Allen was glad to have someone around who could talk about the situation lightly.  
Dirandau, meanwhile, was the picture of indignance.  
  
Dirandau: "You keep strange company, Allen. Why anyone would contend with a psuedo-soldier like him is beyond me ……"  
Gaddes: "You're one to talk. You lost the fight, remember?"  
Dirandau: "You're one to talk, you're an idiot, remember?"  
They both eyed each other for a moment.  
Without warning, Dirandau reached up, and slapped Gaddes as hard as he could.  
Gaddes picked up his sword.  
Gaddes: "That's it, you little freak….I'm gonna pound you into next week…"  
  
He ran at Dirandau. Allen held out his arm as a barrier.  
Allen: "Don't take another step."  
Gaddes: "But, Boss, you can't-"  
Allen: "Don't argue."  
Dirandau smirked.  
Dirandau: "Yeah...don't argue with him, reprobate."  
Gaddes didn't know what that word meant, but it was obviously an insult. He tried to charge again.  
  
Allen: *whispered* "Don't provoke him further! That's an order."  
Gaddes sighed, and nodded.  
Gaddes: "Yes, boss."  
Allen: "Now...about that letter.."  
  
Allen opened it with trembling hands.  
  
To his relief, Eries didn't know anything about Dirandau's escapade through Asturia...She even complimented him on the good job he'd done keeping Dirandau a secret. She had written to let him know that her trip had gone well, and she would be returning earlier than she thought. She seemed excited about something.  
She said that she had good news for Allen.  
  
Good news was something that he needed very badly.  
::"Perhaps she has decided about Dirandau....yes, she must have....there could be no other news that she would think I'd want to hear.."::  
  
The last line read, "The present troubles of you and I shall soon be over."  
Allen had been very happy up until that point.  
  
She didn't understand the situation the same way that Allen did. What she thought to be a good thing was most likely not what he believed it to be. She was so cold and factual. She only saw the surface of things.   
  
::"And now I'm right back to the worries I had before..."::   
Even when she tried to comfort someone, she ended up making them feel an infinite amount of times worse. He wasn't surprised....it was in her nature to do so. She obviously hadn't the ability to understand emotion.  
  
He sighed. He tried to calm down, and remind himself that these things would not last forever.  
"Patience....patience....patience...."  
That was one of the things he'd been taught as a knight...repeating this word several times in a row helped to destroy stress.  
  
He felt something being thrown at him. He looked up from his melancholy ponderings to see Dirandau staring at him.  
Dirandau: "Wake up!"  
Allen must have been standing there for quite some time.  
Dirandau: "What the hell is wrong with you?"  
He did a mocking impression of Allen saying, "Patience" over and over.  
Dirandau: "I hate that word...."  
He chucked some more paper at Allen.   
Dirandau: "I hate it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
Dirandau's hands were clenched so tight that they had become white. His eye twitched.   
Gaddes and Allen looked at eachother.  
  
Gaddes: "Geez....this guy goes from sane to not the way some people change socks...."  
  
Dirandau glared at Gaddes, and said the only thing that came to mind.  
Dirandau: "Die..."  
Gaddes: "Eh...no thanks. I'd rather not do that just yet."  
Dirandau: "Rrrrrr..................!"  
  
Allen groaned. ::"I'm going to have to stock up on tranquilizers. Not necessarily for him, either...."::  
  
Allen: "You can't keep doing this. I understand you are going through a lot, but you can't just lash out at everyone without warning, and for no reason whatsoever."  
Dirandau: "There is a reas-"  
Allen: "Alright...there probably is a reason....but you haven't let anyone know what that is yet, and it probably doesn't warrant such rudeness. You have to calm down."  
Dirandau nearly fell down laughing.  
Dirandau: "I am calm..........I'm imprisoned in your house....a little girl is trying to kill me, and I can't stop her......there is absolutely nothing for me to do here.......I'm going to die............but I'm calm...calm as a stagnant pond......"  
  
"Calm as a stagnant pond"....that sounded like something Strategos would say...  
  
Allen slammed his fist into the wall.  
Allen: "Damnit.... no one will help you if you don't give them the chance! I'm trying to and all you can do is rant and rave, and talk like a madman.....don't you ever wonder why people think you are crazy?"  
  
Dirandau: "Not at all. I know I am. I'm glad. I'd rather be crazy than be like them."  
His hands were still clenched, he still had that ludicrous look on his face. Amazing that he could hold a conversation when he felt the way he did.   
  
They turned away from each other.  
  
Gaddes looked at the two. He was shocked at how similar the two looked...They both hung their heads in an unbearable kind of despair and exasperation.  
  
The air was thick with pain and suffering. Gaddes felt that if they stayed there any longer, they would all be consumed by it.  
Gaddes: "Hey, boss...you shown this guy around town yet?"  
Allen turned and stared at Gaddes, as if his head had suddenly sprouted flowers.  
Allen: "What?"  
Gaddes: "Well...he talks about how pitiful our culture is....he hasn't seen it up close, though....Probably hasn't ever seen a market place, either."  
Allen shook his head no.  
Allen: "Eries said that he wasn't allowed to go anywhere outside of this estate. Besides...we can't risk him going into one of his fits."  
Dirandau: "Hey!!!! Don't talk about me as if I'm not standing right next to you.....I hate it when people do that!"  
Gaddes: " You don't need to tell us every time you hate something...we know you hate everything."  
Dirandau: "RRRRrrRRR!!"  
They looked as if they were about to pounce on eachother again.  
  
Allen: "Stop this, both of you! I suppose you're right, Gaddes. It would be good for us to get away for awhile....he and I both need a break from this."  
  
He set the letter on the table.  
  
Allen: "Dirandau, I take you on your word that you won't do anything....but the moment you start acting up, we go straight home. Understand?"  
Dirandau rolled his eyes. Allen was talking to him like a four-year-old.  
Dirandau: "Fine."  
  
The trio headed off for the marketplace.  
  
  
  
  
It was a fine day in the market place. The sun was high up in the sky, the waves gently hit the shores, the temperature was just cool enough.  
  
Dirandau ambled from place to place. Gaddes was right about one thing. He'd never been in a marketplace before. Besides going into battle, Dirandau hadn't gone anywhere outside the Vione, or various training centers. He'd never seen a place like this, where a person could just pick up something they liked, and buy it.  
  
Gaddes' eye was caught by a jewelry stand.  
Gaddes: "Boss, I think I'll leave you two for a bit. I..uh...have something I need to do..."  
Allen nodded, and Gaddes left. He was looking for something to give a pretty girl he'd met a week back at the Sontresse Inn. He knew he shouldn't let girls go to his head like that....but he couldn't help himself.   
  
Allen promised that he would by anything Dirandau wanted. They walked aimlessly from shop to shop, discussing nothing in particular. They stopped in front of an antiques booth. A tall man, looking slightly grungy and aloof, was busy talking with the owner.   
  
Dirandau began looking everything over absentmindedly.  
Dirandau: "The way your people use money is..odd...."  
Allen blinked.  
Allen: "People didn't use money in Zai.....i-in your former country?"  
Dirandau: "Of course not. It isn't necessary to use monetary units. A person can't own something simply because they gave someone else gold for it.....ownership comes from hard work."  
He spoke with great haughtiness, and his words were harsh...his pride and love for his country were things which he could not veil.   
  
Allen: "I've never heard of a country that doesn't have a form of currency. How did people acquire things?"  
Dirandau had difficulty speaking of Zaibach in the past tense. He couldn't make himself realize that it was really gone.  
Dirandau: "Everyone has set requirements...things they need to do by the end of each day or week. If they've done what they ought to, then they get what they require. Bottom line: You do your job, you get what you need."  
Allen laughed.  
Allen: "I'd love to see how Dryden would fare in a place like that..."  
Dirandau: "Who?"  
Allen: "Oh...Dryden Fassa...he's a merchant, the only thing he understands is money. Maybe you'll meet him one day."   
  
The man who was talking with the merchant whipped around at the mention of that name. It was, in fact, Dryden. He looked quite worried.  
::"Have I been found?"::  
Upon seeing Allen's face, he relaxed.  
  
Dryden: "And maybe today is that day....is that you, Allen?"  
Allen: "Dryden? What are you doing? I thought you were out in Freid for the next six months."  
Dryden smiled.  
Dryden: "I see Eries has been talking....."  
Allen: "Quite a bit, yes. Why did you lie to her?"  
Dryden: "To avoid the evil eye, my friend...Ever since I left Millerna and the throne, she's had it in for me. Eries was hoping that married life would make her settle down and forget all those 'frivolous dreams.' And then there are the troubles with governing the new republic. No one wants the job...and, since I technically already took that job, she knows that it would be easier to try and get me to come back than get someone new.   
Every time she hears that I'm in Asturia, I am barraged with people trying to convince me to come back, and take my rightful place."  
He sighed and shook his head, obviously weary.  
Dryden: "Asturia is a haven for merchants. I couldn't just stay away forever. So, now...I have to pretend that I am not here."  
He extended his hand to Allen as a gesture of salutation.  
Dryden: "My name is Sylian."  
  
It gave Allen some slight comfort to know that someone else was being hounded by Eries just as much as himself.  
  
Many had trouble understanding Eries' actions. She seemed to have a vendetta against the rest of humanity.  
However, all of her actions were rooted in a deep love for her people, and a desire to take care of them.  
  
These were difficult times, especially for leaders. There was danger of revolution breaking out. The people were absolutely infuriated with their leaders, for their failure to prevent such a terrible war. There was even talk of removing all leaders....anarchy might be better than the mess which leaders create.  
  
Asturia was considered the government which best followed the will of the people. The oppressed of other countries looked upon it with great hope as the one place that they could go, and live in peace.   
Asturia held the last bit of faith the people had in government.   
And Eries was responsible to see that this faith was well placed. If she were unsuccessful, then revolution would be inevitable.  
  
  
Dryden: "That's why I was concerned when I heard someone mention my name...I thought perhaps I'd been discovered. You won't tell Eries, will you?"  
Allen: "No, no...I've got enough troubles of my own."  
He motioned towards Dirandau.  
Dryden: "Who is this?"  
Allen: "My....ward. Why don't you introduce yourself?"  
Allen knew he could trust Dryden not to let anyone know. If he were so busy keeping himself out of trouble, he wouldn't go out of his way to hurt Allen...even if he were still jealous of Millerna's affections for him.  
  
Dirandau: "How positively...kind of you to include me in your drivel - I mean conversation."  
Allen rolled his eyes. Wasn't there anything he could do that this kid would appreciate?  
Dirandau: "What did you say your name was?"  
Dryden: "Sylian."  
He blinked.  
Dirandau: "You live in a whole in the ground? Allen, if this is one of your country's best merchants, you're not scoring any points-"  
Dryden: "What are you talking about? Where do you get that idea?"  
Dirandau: "Your name...it means 'Member of the forest.' And, judging from your appearance, the only place you would live is underground....like a mole, or a rat. Path-"  
Allen *Through clenched teeth* "Say pathetic again, and you'll regret it."  
Dirandau and Allen glared at each other for a moment.  
  
Dryden felt he had to break up this love fest.  
Dryden: "What happened to Ser-"  
Allen waved his hands, signaling that Dryden should shut up.  
Dryden: "I mean, what happened to serving yourself at these markets? Everywhere you look these days, you see those government paid servants carrying packages for everyone...wild, huh? Just another sign of the times, I guess."  
That was one of the stranger attempts by the government to curry favor with the people....a rather blatant example of how the government was the servant of the people.  
Dirandau: "Wild? What kind of rush can someone get by something so unimportant as that?"  
He stared at Dryden as if the guy were absolutely nuts. He finally gave up trying to be part of the conversation, muttering something that didn't sound at all flattering to Dryden, and went back to perusing the merchandise.  
  
Dryden: "Um...quite a serious one, is he?"  
Allen: "Quite. And very touchy, especially about Serena. Thank you for censoring yourself....the last time someone mentioned her, he tried to kill them. I didn't know what I'd do if he went into another tirade...and right in the middle of the marketplace, too."  
Dryden: "So, what did happen to Serena?"  
Allen: "Oh...it seems she never really did come back...You see-"  
  
A crash and sounds of yelling cut Allen's words short.  
  
Dirandau: "I didn't do anything, damn it!"  
Merchant: "You did...I saw you!"  
Dirandau: "You lying little…! You didn't see anything…because I didn't do anything!!!"  
Merchant: "You did. You broke them, you're going to pay for them."  
A pile of broken wood and shattered glass lay at Dirandau's feet.  
  
Dirandau: "I didn't!!! It's your fault....you set those damned ugly clocks up on that shelf...it fell on its own...you're the idiot who miscalculated the weight......Not my fault."  
The merchant grabbed Dirandau by the arm. He responded by slugging the merchant in the face.  
  
Allen rushed over. He gripped Dirandau by the shoulders.  
Allen: "What did I tell you?"  
Dirandau: "That doesn't have anything to do with this. This wasn't my fault."  
Allen: "I don't care if it wasn't your fault. You said you wouldn't do anything...even if it's not your fault, you can't hit someone in the face like that."  
Dirandau: "What was I supposed to do? Not defend myself? He just....accosted me like that... "  
Allen: "You could have called me over."  
Dirandau: "Oh, yes....eheh.....wait for you to save me, like one of your pretty wenches......your helpless little sister..."  
Allen: "You weren't in any danger, so it wasn't really defense. Until you learn how to deal with people in an acceptable fashion, you should call me over if you're having difficulties with them. Alright?"  
  
Dirandau: "Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....."  
::"He wants me to answer to him....like he's my superior, or something......I'll never answer to him..."::  
Allen: "Growl at me all you want. This is what you will do from now on."  
  
He paid the merchant, who was not at all pleased. He bid Dryden goodbye, and led Dirandau away from the shop.  
  
Allen sighed.  
Allen: "I doubt if I'll ever be allowed back there."  
Dirandau: "It's not like you'll ever need anything from there, anyway....They were all just useless things, common to your frivolous society. You-"  
Allen: "Can we PLEASE have a moment without your remarks about how nothing is as good as it was in your country? You've already told me many times....many, many times.....and frankly, it's becoming an annoyance."  
Dirandau shrugged.  
Allen: "Good. You just be quiet then...I'd prefer to enjoy my time here right now."  
  
Allen couldn't have enjoyed this time at all, even with Dirandau not talking. He had too many things to worry about.  
  
They walked along in silence for the next few minutes. Both pretended to be immensely interested in the merchandise they passed...It helped them to ignore each other. They seemed equally well relieved when Gaddes came back (He had found a lovely necklace...at least, lovely for something his salary could buy.) Anything was better than being alone with each other.  
  
The next few hours were quite uneventful. Dirandau had found some new clothes for himself. They were a far cry from the things he was wearing at the moment...cold and militant, the sorts of things he'd always worn.  
It wasn't that he liked those sorts of clothes, that wasn't why he chose them. It was simply that he'd never worn anything else. Strategos had always chosen everything for him. In fact, the only thing he'd ever chosen for himself was that tiara.  
  
  
Often, Allen or Gaddes would meet up with someone that they knew, and engage in conversation. It made Dirandau feel even more lonely.   
The worst time was when Allen met up with a few of his fellow knights.  
They shared great comradery, discussing old times, battles they had lost and won, or new techniques they'd learned with the sword.   
  
To Dirandau, it was just a painful reminder that he would never have a conversation like that...all his soldiers were gone forever.   
::"I'd give anything if I could only see someone I know...someone I've fought with...someone important to me.."  
  
Irony has a habit of listening in on our thoughts, and manifesting them through her own special methods in the world around us. She must have been listening to Dirandau's thoughts at that moment, for not ten feet away was someone who often brought a smile to his face, who could make him laugh as if there were no other troubles in the world....someone in a plain red shirt, with shabbily cut black hair..........Van Fanel.  
  
Dirandau couldn't believe it. His voice became quiet.  
"Still alive????"  
He had begun to think that Van was dead....no one spoke of him, ever. Besides, after what he'd done to the Dragonslayers, it just seemed a natural procession of events that he die a horrible death in payment.  
His eyes brightened, and a smile spread slowly across his face.  
"Van............."  
He traced his fingers lightly against that old scar.....it was becoming lighter now..it didn't hurt as much as it used to.  
"We've had some good times...you and I."   
This was perfect. That man....that idiot...he didn't know that Dirandau was even alive. Perfect. He wouldn't be defending himself, he wouldn't have time to. And with that bitch from the mystic moon gone, (Allen had been talking about how he was beginning to miss her.) it would be all too easy to make a sneak attack.  
He began laughing.  
"The fun's not over yet, Van!"  
  
  
Van looked up from what he was doing, chills running down his spine.  
"It couldn't be.....could it?"  
That voice...he had hoped he'd never hear it again.....that laugh, those morbid, insane jokes... those were in all his nightmares, haunting him. Was he having a nightmare now?  
He looked around. He thought he caught a faint glimpse of his old enemy, smiling as usual.  
  
He didn't have a chance to make double-sure that it was Dirandau. Mereru had jumped in front of him.  
Mereru: "Lord Van? Lord Van...are you alright? Huh? Huh?"  
Van: "I'm fine, Mereru...just fine.."  
He tried to look around her, but she kept getting in his line of vision. She grabbed his face with both hands. {Or would they be paws?}  
Mereru: "You don't look okay....are you sick, Lord Van??"  
  
There was an epidemic of an unknown illness ambling its way across Gaea. Though no one they knew, besides Millerna, had caught it, Mereru was forever afraid that her precious Van would come down with it. She gave him great difficulty anytime he tried to go anywhere, and she ALWAYS had to come with him....she was much more clingy than before.  
This excursion was exceptionally difficult. The marketplace was just full of strange people...there was no telling what weird diseases they had.  
  
Van: "No, I'm not sick, now just-"  
Mereru: "Maybe we should go home. I knew this was a bad idea!"  
She grabbed him by the arm, and started dragging him away.  
Van: "Wait, Mereru!"  
She wouldn't budge on her decision, so the two headed for home.  
  
  
Our little hero was still laughing. Allen couldn't get him to stop. He tried asking Dirandau what had happened, but all he could get out of him was the word "Van" and more gleeful laughing.  
  
The surrounding people were beginning to stare. Allen had to get Dirandau out of there. He was thankful that at least Dirandau wouldn't be struggling. He was too...happy.  
  
  
{And on that happy note, I conclude this chapter. I'm not entirely sure if I'm done editing this chapter....but it's been too long! ::Blinks:: I couldn't believe how far back my fic was in the list....   
  
  
  
I promise not to bastardize anyone if I can help it. I try my best to represent the characters as I see them, and lucky for some, I find good qualities in all characters (even the ones I don't care for.)  
I'm always worried that I've slightly demonized Eries....I tried giving her redemption in this chapter, and I hope I was successful. [However, what I've got planned for next chapter may just undo all that... and I hope it's not cliche to have Eries causing problems for everyone, because I can't stand cliche.]  
I don't know yet if this story will have a happy ending. Most of my stories have terribly sad endings...but I might make an exception. The point is...you'll have to wait and see:-)  
  
And huggles and snuggles to m'lady Christine Daae...Many thanks for reviewing. ::Feels all special and squishy.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
{I am now the proud owner of a deleted scene! Yippee! I thought that this had some good writing in it, so I decided to leave it up here. [I didn't edit it much, so it might not look as good as some of my other stuff.] I couldn't put it in the real fic because Dirandau knows quite well what danger he's in, and how he has to pretend he's a member of Asturia. I already showed that with his experience in the Seraphim household. Plus, I'm not exactly sure if it's really realistic having Dirandau play marbles....but it is kind of cute to think about. :-)  
This starts right at the part where they get into the market place.}  
  
It was a fine day in the market place. The sun was high up in the sky, the waves gently hit the shores, the temperature was just cool enough.  
  
Dirandau ambled from place to place. Gaddes was right. He'd never been in a marketplace before. Besides going into battle, Dirandau hadn't gone anywhere outside the Vione, or various training centers. He'd never seen a place like this, where people could pick up something they liked, and buy it.  
  
He stopped at a stand that sold games. He smiled when he saw some bins of flat, clear marbles. He held a green one up to the sun.   
  
Allen: "Found something?"  
Dirandau nodded.  
Dirandau: "We used to play with these....my dragonslayers and I did..."  
Gaddes laughed, imagining them all as little kids, shooting marbles in a circle. Dirandau didn't even bother to feel insulted by Gaddes' laughter.  
Allen blinked.  
Allen: "They played games?"  
He was a little nervous that Dirandau had mentioned the dragonslayers. Many people knew who they were. Traitors were being denounced every day, and plenty of people were jealous enough of Allen Schezar to jump at the chance to denounce him. He knew that nothing much could happen to him, since Eries knew what was going on...but then he'd be breaking that agreement they made.  
  
Dirandau: "When they were younger, yes...in the early years of training. They were meant to teach us strategy...and they made people want to win. You can't win a fight unless you really want to, and you can't desire to win unless you know what it feels like."  
Allen: "What sorts of games did you play?"  
Dirandau: "I can't remember most of them...sometimes I got to play chess with Strategos...I was the only one who was allowed to do that. And...there was a game I invented with these kinds of marbles...I can't remember the name."  
  
He picked up a handful, and sat on the ground. He set several red marbles in the outline of the symbol of some country which was long since gone.   
The merchant began to look a bit worried about what was happening with his merchandise, so Allen payed him.  
  
Dirandau: "Then everyone gets the marbles that are left...And you try to 'kill' the marbles there..you do that by overturning them....I can't really explain it all to you, because it has to do with invading countries, and destroying them...and you've never done that."  
  
He shot one of the remaining marbles into the design in the middle. He got seventeen in a row.  
  
Allen tugged at his cravat, as he sometimes did when he was nervous. The merchant was listening in on the conversation, and could cause trouble.  
Allen: *Whispered* "I can explain-"  
Merchant: "Would you mind moving along? I don't wanna be involved in anything."  
  
Allen nodded. He helped Dirandau put the marbles in a bag, and they started walking again.  
  
Allen: "You can't talk like that here. Everyone is rather tense about anything having to do with the enemy."  
Dirandau: "We aren't the enemy, you are. It's ludicrous...I'll never understand why countries like these didn't want to be part of Zaibach. It'd do them a lot of good. If your people would only realize-"  
  
Allen gripped Dirandau by the shoulders.  
  
Allen: "I just told you not to talk about things like that! Don't you realize this is dangerous? People remember you...they hate you, and many of them would be very glad to see you die. They...they often talk about how they want you to endure what you've put other people through."  
  
How ironic that statement was....the boy has been through more hell than anyone could understand. Allen had trouble saying those words, because he knew that he also used to think that way.  
  
Dirandau: "I can't pretend...not about that....You want me to be a traitor to my country....traitors are the ones who deserve to be tormented...traitors are the people I went after."  
Allen: "You promised you wouldn't act up.."  
Dirandau: "I wasn't thinking when I made that promise."  
Allen: "You aren't thinking now."  
Dirandau folded his arms across his chest.  
Dirandau: "We used to execute people for the things you say.."  
Allen: "And we execute people now for the things you say."  
  
Dirandau: "Shut up."  
He smacked Allen.  
Allen: "Thanks."  
Allen smacked him back.  
  
Gaddes: "Alright, enough of this love-fest. You always talk about winning, don't you? And how people make foolish, silly mistakes. Well...you're not following your own rules. You'll lose if you keep this up...you're the only member of Zaibach left. If you continue the way you are, you'll be executed, and then your country will truly be no more. And it will all be your fault."  
  
Dirandau didn't want to admit it, but he knew it was true.  
Dirandau: "Well, well....your pathetic soldier knows something about strategy after all..."  
Allen: "Then, you will stop this foolishness?"  
Dirandau nodded.  
  
{I gave up here, and started writing anew. After this part, they would have spent a few uneventful hours at the market, and gone home to await....-Dramatic music goes here- the next chapter. Happy trails, hope to update again soon...[Next chapter probably won't be as long as this, though....takes too long to edit and finish.]} 


	7. Chapter 7

{This chapter of "Dirandau is my sister" is brought to you by Chesta's Miracle Cut Healer…guaranteed to heal all wounds in less time than it takes to slap someone.  
  
[Since it's Chesta who presents this product, you know that the slogan must be true.]  
  
Onward and upward, wherever the wind takes us…hopefully away from Fred the vicious rubber chicken.:-)}  
  
  
Allen and Dirandau were now on a carriage ride to the "Capital of Justice." Eries had summoned them...or, rather, she had summoned Dirandau.  
  
Dirandau was asleep on one of the seats. In order to wake him out of that stupor, Allen had given him some 'medicine.' That was a terrible idea. Now, his mind was back in order, but he was unconscious. Allen just hoped he'd wake up before they got to the capital...  
  
He stared out the window. Everything was pristine, completely white. And unfeeling. This place seemed like a morgue. No one ever came here unless they had to. And he had to.  
Why was it always so hard? It seemed, no matter what he did, whenever he cared about someone...  
He was like an idiot, willfully running into brick walls... Why did he have to care about this killer? Why?  
  
He didn't have time to wonder anymore. They pulled up at the palace gates. He carried Dirandau inside.  
  
  
They were led into a lobby, where others awaited to be dealt with. Prisoners of war, citizens who had been dragged into political situations, royals of other countries. So many summons...and it wasn't even a busy day.  
  
"Damnit, I've already told you-"  
Eries: "Oh, such language...that's unbecoming a royal, you know."  
Dryden: "I'm no royal."  
Eries: "Yes you are. You married a princess. You've already ruled the country before. You can do it again."  
She smiled, and tried to sound as pleasant as possible.   
Eries: "Look...if you agree to this, I'll let you see Millerna."  
Dryden looked away, and sighed. Eries smiled even more. This was the right direction....she could get him with this. She moved closer to him.  
Eries: "She misses you. She's even asked for you..."  
Dryden: "If only...." He knew it couldn't be true.  
Eries: "It's such a shame that only royals are allowed by her bedside."  
Dryden: "Such a low down wench...using your sister for bait."  
He smirked. He could always appreciate good tactics.  
Dryden: "Why you even bother trying to get me to take the job is a mystery...you're perfect for it."  
Eries: "RrrrrrrRRRR!"  
::"Why did he have to be so infuriating??":: Her best advances only made him laugh...she couldn't compete with that.. She gave up for the time being, and walked away.  
Dryden tried to leave as well, but was instantly surrounded by some of Eries' advisors. They had a plethora of reasons as to why he should take back the throne.  
::"Just smile and nod...smile and nod..."::   
  
  
By now, Dirandau was awake...and confused. He was about to ask Allen some questions, but Eries approached them. That woman terrified him.   
Eries: "Ah....Allen....I trust your trip here was-"  
Allen: "No pleasantries today, Eries. Why have you brought us here?"  
Eries: "Right to the point. I like that."  
She gestured towards a corner away from people. It was right next to some prison cells.  
Eries: "If you'll come with me..."  
  
  
They walked past Dryden, who was now sitting on a table.  
Dryden: "Your not using good excuses.....You could've said that a perk of this job would be that you'd stop pestering me with all your talk. Then you might've interested me in it."  
The advisors would need reinforcements soon. Dryden's aloof manner and sense of humour was irrepressible, and he was tiring them.  
  
  
Eries: "I have decided that we must resolve this issue now. I want you to hand Dirandau over to me...there is no point in delaying this."  
Allen: "What??? After you said I'd been doing well..."  
Eries: "Regardless, I have to take precaution against anything happening in the future."  
Allen: "Brick wall..."  
Eries: "What did you just call me?"  
Allen: "Oh...nothing..."  
  
Dirandau was looking quite cross. They could at least address him...He was not just an 'issue.'  
  
Eries: "I feel for you, Allen. I really do..."  
Allen: "Oh, yes. And when I woke up this morning, my first thought was, 'Gee....what a kind, caring, compassionate individual that Eries is...I can't wait to talk to her again!.' "  
Eries glared.  
Eries: "Careful...I was about to offer you another solution...you keep speaking to me with such disrespect, and I won't try to help you anymore."  
Allen: "Oh, no! I won't be helped into an early grave by the good Princess Eries...what a shame!"  
Dirandau smirked. So...he could make half-way decent insults....  
  
Allen was about ready to stand up and go. This situation was hopeless. He wouldn't keep hiding behind a mask of manners and grace. He was always hiding behind it....when Marlene was married....when Millerna was married....when his mother died....when.....so many times when terrible things happened, he simply endured it.  
  
Eries: "Don't act like that, or I'll have you prison bound. I have another choice for you. Dirandau would be able to stay with you then, and I wouldn't bother you anymore. You'd like some peace of mind, wouldn't you?"  
Allen: "Are you..serious? Of course I would."  
Eries: "Good. Now that I have your attention... The only reason problem with you keeping Dirandau is that the people wouldn't stand for a war criminal running around loose in the city."  
Dirandau: *Quietly* "I don't do much running around....bitch..."  
Eries: "So, all we'd have to do is prove that he won't be a problem...prove his loyalty to Asturia."  
Allen was about to say that this was impossible, since Dirandau most definitely had no loyalty to any country other than Zaibach...but that wouldn't have helped the case any.  
Eries: "We have plenty of prisoners from the war. Since Dirandau was in Zaibach, he can help us identify what their crimes are. We can't go on to punish them unless we know what to punish them for. What do you say?"  
Dirandau: "What?????"  
He tried to jump over the desk, to get at Eries, but Allen held him back.  
Dirandau: "You're not seriously expecting me to go along with this??"  
Eries: "We could just take you now, and decide what your death sentence will be..."  
And then there was a series of creative expletives from Dirandau which the author wouldn't dare to type.  
Allen clapped his hand over Dirandau's mouth.  
Allen: "You aren't helping..."  
Eries: "Well, it seems as if he won't cooperate. I'll just have to go get the execution papers, and-"  
Allen: "Eries!! You planned this, didn't you?? Came up with something you knew would outrage him so much that you could prove he was still a danger without any trouble whatsoever......"  
They continued arguing in this vein for a few minutes.  
  
Dirandau backed away from them. He didn't feel like listening to this.  
There was a man standing near one of the cells. He was immensely tall, and dressed in a purple cloak.  
He looked like....Strategos...  
Dirandau: "Who are you?"  
"My name is Aragon. Quite a fight they're having, isn't it?"  
Dirandau rolled his eyes.  
Dirandau: "I don't want to hear any more about them....they should both die....in flames....."  
Aragon: "Say, you're Dirandau, aren't you?"  
Dirandau: "What of it?"  
Aragon smiled with admiration.  
Aragon: "I've so heard much about you! The greatest fighter in all Zaibach. I'd have loved to see you in action...damn that those Asturian bastards had to win."  
Dirandau turned to face him. It had been so long since he'd heard anyone else insult Asturia. Or talk about him like that, even after they knew who he was. Even the Seraphim family wouldn't have been so kind.  
  
Serena, as usual, was grumbling in the back of his mind.  
::"You're not great...you murdered people in their sleep....you did such awful things, how dare you take things like this as compliments!"::  
He tried his best to ignore her.   
  
Dirandau: "You worked in Zaibach? What did you do?"  
Aragon: "I was a...doctor. Well, an apprentice, anyway. But, who cares about me? You...have you been okay? They haven't done anything bad to you?"  
Genuine concern. Dirandau was nearly overtaken by happiness.  
  
Dirandau: "They're an awful bunch of prigs...that idiot still thinks I'm his sister..."  
Aragon seemed to suddenly remember something.  
Aragon: "Oh, yes....I forgot about Serena. Has she been bothering you? I mean, talking to you and all...trying to hurt you?"  
He nodded. He'd almost forgotten about her for a moment. She had shut up, and seemed to be listening. Now the way Aragon talked alerted her.  
::"Him...he's one of...them.....get away!!! Leave him...Where's Allen? Am I alone now??? Allen!!!"::  
He almost fainted. She's never attacked him this hard. He shut his eyes.  
Aragon: "We'll see what we can do for you. I had some...friends...they worked with her.."  
She was screaming now. Inarticulate screaming.  
Aragon: "We'll make things alright again."  
His eyes flashed open. He forced himself to stand strong. This was why she was afraid.....she knew she was in danger with this Aragon. She was terrified of being destroyed, and this was the man who could destroy her.   
Now that he finally had some help, he wouldn't allow anything to stop him.  
  
  
Eries and Allen had abated their fight somewhat. They were both mature human beings. They knew that fighting wouldn't help anything. Even though they wanted to tear each other apart.  
Eries: "Allen, I'm simply trying to help."  
Allen: "You're not helping, you're not even trying. You don't have to do this, you know. You could've just left us alone. No one will find out-"  
Eries: "But that isn't true. Someone has found out. You've heard of that illness, haven't you?"  
Allen: "Of course. Everyone has. What does this have to do with us?"  
Eries: "Whenever anyone suspects someone of catching this illness, they must be turned in, to be taken care of by our International Doctors."  
Allen: "I've heard this a million times before....get to the point."  
Eries: "Well, the King of Fanelia was turned in by that cat girl of his....It seems he'd been acting strangely in the marketplace. When the doctors asked him what happened that made her think he was ill, he started talking about something he'd seen. He didn't know if it was a vision, or something brought on by fever, or possibly bad memories....but he had seen, clearly, Dirandau Albatou."  
Allen went pale.  
Allen: "You can't prove this. You can't prove he was in the marketplace....you can't prove it..."  
Eries: "You're right. I can't. Which is why I'm not going to try to."  
Allen: "Then, you can't do anything. Just let us go, and stop wasting our time."  
Eries: "Allen, you know perfectly well that I can't take any chances. If someone else should see him....they'll demand to know how it is that he's still here...and how can I tell them that one of our Caeli Knights is taking care of him?"  
Allen: "Just tell them about the circumstances...about my sister.."  
Eries: "So, you do still care about her? This is why? Because you're holding out for her?"  
Allen: "No...that's not what I meant. But, if the people need an excuse...."  
Eries: "You would disrespect her so? Use her as a way to help that freak? No...I won't have it. The only excuse we will use is that he is now loyal to Asturia. And there will be no better proof of that than what I have suggested."  
Allen: "I will agree to nothing like this, unless he is willing."  
Eries: "All we need is for him to turn in one person...surely there must be someone he didn't like in Zaibach? Someone he wouldn't mind..."  
Allen: "Betraying?"  
Eries: "It's not betrayal, it's just....helping out politically."  
Allen: "He won't do it."  
He walked over to Dirandau.  
  
Allen: "Come, Dirandau....we'll go home now."  
Serena sounded hopeful at this.  
::"Brother!!!!! Save me....."::  
Dirandau: "It's not my home! I'm not going back there..."  
Allen: "Dirandau, please...just come with me.."  
Eries: "He doesn't want to go with you, Allen. Maybe we'll just put him on the waiting list of prisoners who are to be dealt with."  
Allen: "He doesn't want that."  
Dirandau: "Don't speak for me! I'm already imprisoned at your house...I may as well stay here, and be imprisoned with my comrades. At least then I won't be alone."  
Eries: "There, you see? You're alone in your fight...just give up. You're not helping anyone."  
Allen looked from person to person. Could it really be that he wasn't doing anyone any good?   
He sighed.  
::"No different than normal, I guess."::  
Eries: "Come on. Have a glass of wine...we'll sign some papers, and this whole mess will be behind us."  
She led him to her office. He looked over his shoulder at Dirandau, who was being led towards the prison cells by Aragon. Aragon winked at him.  
::"There's something unsettling about all this..."::  
He knew better than to trust Eries, but what could he do? There was no reason for him to continue fighting...like she said, his help wasn't needed. And Dirandau really did seem happy to go.   
  
  
Serena had ceased to scream, and was now quietly whimpering. Dirandau laughed.  
::"Finally agreeing to defeat....thanks, Serena..."::  
He was led into a cell with other tall men in purple cloaks. They asked him plenty of questions, about his memories, and what's been going on with him lately.  
They looked at him with the same admiration in their eyes as was in Aragon's. Some of them began a side conversation.  
"Pity he has to be destroyed...."  
"At least we got a chance to see the work of our masters in action."  
The others nodded in agreement.  
  
  
Allen stared into his glass of wine. He had no intention of drinking it. Something wasn't right. Or was it just his imagination?  
Eries: "I must say, I'm happy that this fight between the two of us is over now."  
Allen: "I'm sorry I can't say the same."  
Eries: "Don't be so unhappy...your sister wouldn't want to see that look on your face."  
Allen: "My sister....if she were to see my face...she would understand....."  
Eries: "You don't sound like you believe it."  
Allen: "Maybe I don't. Maybe I don't really know what she's like anymore.."  
He remembered what Dirandau had said. "You're the one who's obsessed with a dead sister he hardly knew..."  
All this time he'd wasted. He had nothing to show for it...  
He set the wine down. He didn't care anymore...not about anything. What was left for him now?  
Eries: "You'll have a chance to see, though..."  
Allen: "What do you mean?"  
She was definitely up to something.  
Eries: "Oh...I was going to tell you later...but I suppose I can tell you now..."  
  
  
Aragon: "You look feverish, Dirandau. Maybe you should go lie down."  
Dirandau nodded in agreement. He could use a good nap.  
Aragon: "You can lie down in this room...come on.."  
He led Dirandau into the next room. The others waited for a moment, then followed.  
  
  
Eries: "I told you that we have plenty of prisoners...there were many who managed to survive on Zaibach's side. Some of them were sorcerers."  
Allen: "Sorcerers???"  
Eries: "They've been our most helpful prisoners. In fact, they are so helpful, that we can trust them outside of locked cells. They were more than happy to defect over to our side. They don't care about much, as long as they can practice their science."  
Allen stood, his hand on the hilt of his sword.  
Allen: "That man Dirandau was talking with..."  
Eries: "A very nice young sorcerer, if I do say so myself."  
Allen: "But...why wouldn't....Dirandau wasn't even afraid of them..."  
Eries: "Naturally. Why should he be? He didn't even know who they were...as I understand it, everyone had to keep from saying anything about them in his presence. Anyone who underwent their experiments were given amnesia. As far as he's concerned, Aragon is just a comrade...someone to talk to."  
Allen: "But....."  
Eries: "This is what I wrote to you about....all these troubles will be gone now. You'll have your sister back. Just accept it, and be happy."  
Allen didn't even bother to say another word. He ran as fast as he could.  
  
  
Dirandau was confused by what he saw in that room....a slab with straps on it....  
Dirandau: "Wha...what??"  
Aragon: "Don't be alarmed. Just come without a fight...this won't take long.."  
Dirandau: "What's going on?"  
Aragon: "These Asturians don't appreciate our work....we've got to 'take care' of you. Just think of it this way: At least you won't have to listen to Serena anymore."  
Some of the others snickered. Dirandau tried to bolt out of there. Aragon grabbed him by the arm. His fingernails left a big gash. Dirandau screamed.  
Aragon sighed.  
Aragon: "They said you always put up a fight...."  
  
  
In rushed Allen. He pushed all the others aside, until he reached Dirandau.   
Allen: "Keep away from him..."  
He drew his sword.  
Allen: "I mean it."  
  
Eries came in, with several of her guards.  
Eries: "You disappoint me, Allen."  
Allen: "Yes, I seem to have a habit of doing that."  
Aragon tried to get at Dirandau, but Allen took a slice at him. Aragon's hand fell to the ground, now severed from his arm.  
Eries: "Allen! Do not continue this...you'll be branded a traitor-"  
Allen: "I knew you'd say that. I don't care.."  
  
Eries: "Premeditated action, willfully going against your country.....I can't stand for this! Congratulations. You are now a traitor."  
"I don't think so."  
Everyone looked to the back of the room. Dryden had been listening to the commotion, and came to see what he could do.  
Dryden: "Before you can brand him a traitor, you'd have to talk about the situation...and you would have to admit that you are more of a traitor than any of us."  
Eries: "What? How dare you accuse me-"  
Dryden: "Tsk, tsk...denying someone a chance to defend themselves...premeditated murder..abuse of power.....and a list of other crimes big enough to paper the walls of this palace with. When shall we set the trial for, Eries? Tuesday sounds good....That way, it'd be right after the traditional housewive's baking day, and everyone who came would have some snacks to enjoy while they watched you die.."  
Eries: "You can't put me on trial. You can't do anything. You...you wouldn't."  
Dryden: "Oh, I don't know...I could....if I were king. Just lop your head off like a dandelion."  
He imitated the action of slicing a dandelion's head. Eries looked terrified.  
Eries: "But...what about...the people? They...won't stand...for this....they'll want Dirandau to-"  
Dryden: "So what? He hasn't done anything. Won't the people be glad to know that even someone with such a terrible reputation is given a fair chance? That no one will be persecuted, even if everyone wants you to go against the law to hurt them?"  
Eries: "But..if he's left to run loose-"  
Dryden: "He hasn't been running around loose. He's been under the care of one of our finest knights. The people will also be glad to know that our good knights are keeping them safe from any dangers. Just imagine....a former Zaibach soldier has gone through the marketplace, and he didn't even attack anyone...what a good job this Allen Schezar has been doing."  
Eries had no more arguments at the moment.  
Dryden: "Alright. I guess this party is over....come on, Allen. I want to discuss what's happened with you."  
  
Allen put his sword away. They walked out of the building together.  
Allen: "Thank you for your kindness, Dryden, but I think we'll just go home now."  
Dryden: "Not a very good idea. She'll come after you. She's persistent."  
Allen: "What are you talking about? You just told her...she wouldn't try anything after all that you said."  
Dryden: "I wouldn't put it past her. She's a ruthless politician. She won't rest until she's accomplished her goal."  
Allen: "I won't let anything happen."  
Dryden: "You can't do much, unless you can fight the law. Lucky for you, I know a lot about it."  
  
Dryden opened the door to his carriage, and motioned for the two to step inside.  
Allen felt strange accepting help from this man. They still hadn't talked at all about the situation between themselves and Millerna.  
The ride was silent. Everyone was thinking. Dryden was busy planning how best to defeat Eries, without having to accept the role of king. Allen was trying to figure out what everyone else was up to.  
Dirandau spent most of the time just looking up at Allen.  
He'd just saved him. He would've had his sister back....there was no reason why he should have saved Dirandau....unless......  
::"Then...he really did mean what he said....that time..."::  
He was willing to give up everything he had for Dirandau. No one had ever done anything like that....not even Jajuka.  
::"Jajuka....."::  
That name filled him with bitterness. He had thought Jajuka really cared about him...until his last moments in the war..  
"Turn back into that gentle Serena..."  
All along, he'd only been helping Dirandau because he liked Serena...he gave his life for her, his honour, everything...He was her strength, and he'd empowered her enough to give him all this trouble.  
If he weren't dead already.....  
  
Allen: "How is that arm feeling?"  
Allen took off his cravat, and used it to wipe off the blood from the gash that Aragon had given Dirandau.  
Dirandau: "It's..fine.....Allen.."  
Allen blinked. There wasn't that usual tone of defiance and hatred in Dirandau's voice. And he didn't say 'Allen' as if it were the worst insult anyone could give someone.   
He tied the cravat around Dirandau's arm.  
Allen: "We'll have to have someone look at that."  
Dirandau nodded.  
::"He's conceding to go and see a doctor? There must be something wrong..."::  
  
Allen: "Are you sure yo-"  
Dirandau leaned against Allen, and began to cry.   
Allen didn't know what to say. He slowly put his arms around Dirandau.  
Allen: "It'll be okay."  
  
::"Brother....no...."::  
Serena was finally beginning to realize that Allen had given up on her. He wasn't trying to help her anymore....There was nothing left.....  
::"Goodbye, Allen..."::  
  
And now there was peace.  
  
  
{Yay! No more Serena....or is there? ::Evil smirk:: You'll just have to wait and see...  
  
I've decided not to reply to reviews today, maybe I'll do that next chapter.  
  
And, hopefully, my next chapter will be done by tomorrow, since I have another day off with the house to myself.  
So, happy trails for now. Au'revoir.} 


	8. Chapter 8

{{::Runs after Shrike, and drags Dilly-sama back here:: You can't have him yet...I need him for this fic....  
  
I just have to say......wow!! Those reviews were absolutely touching!!!  
I'd almost thought that the last chapter might be too sappy for some people....:-)Shows how much I know.  
I just have to say that it makes me very, very, VERY happy to know that I can make people feel what I want with my stories...  
::"Yeay....I can manipulate people's emotions.....muahahahahaha!"::  
  
::Wraps Feye Morgan in a bear hug:: That is positively the best review I've ever seen.....my life has meaning now!!  
  
And, after much driving myself absolutely nuts, and lots and lots of sugar & trying to get to a computer every chance I could….voile, chapter 8. Bon Apetite}}  
Dirandau's shirt was being cleaned and mended. "Don't worry," Dryden had said. "Our people know how to get blood stains out...they've had lots of practice..."  
  
Dirandau sat on the floor in front of a fireplace, barefoot and shirtless, soaking in the heat of the flames.  
  
This was strange. After months of having her constantly harass him...she was gone. All that persecution from her, and from Allen, was over.  
  
"Allen...."  
He felt frigid and conflicted. He didn't know how to feel about Allen now.   
Ever since he'd first met Allen, he'd instantly hated him....right when he saw him kiss that little wench. That was one of the few times when he'd actually been able to interact with foreigners, when not in battle. He hadn't believed that a person could really be like what he'd heard Allen was......a slut.  
All he could wonder when he'd seen Allen kiss Hitomi was how these other countries could possibly have become so screwed up, to be led by such 'rabbits'.  
  
Stranger now was what he had to wonder.....how did this situation become so marred? Zaibach had lost to this pathetic country [That thought always made his head spin...it was impossible, yet it was true.], never to rise to power again…at least, not in his lifetime. And the harlot knight of Caeli was the only person who cared about him.  
He didn't want to let go of his hatred for Allen. He didn't know how. He didn't have to fight anymore..but still, he wanted to. Fighting was all he'd ever known.  
  
He looked down at the cravat tied around his arm.  
"So...those are good for something....."  
It was a foolish idea to wear anything around one's neck like that. It made the task of choking someone ever so easy...  
Maybe later, he'd ask Allen about sending a cravat to Van.  
Allen was in Dryden's study, seeing what he could do about sending for help. Dryden had assured him that things would be fine. They'd fight in the courts, and most likely they would win.   
An hour after they had arrived at his house, Dryden had taken off again. After some thinking, he'd decided that it would be best to strike Eries before she struck them. He promised to send word as soon as he was done to let Allen know what would happen next. He said that they had every reason to hope that everything would turn out fine.  
  
His assurances did no good. Allen knew better than to trust politics to solve problems.  
::"The only thing that does any good is the sword...That, at least, is real, tangible..."::  
  
How many times had some politician called him a criminal? If he could remember, he wouldn't have memory enough for anything else. And all he'd been doing was trying to help them. They were so ready to strike people down for their own profits, regardless of what these people had done or who they were. They were all short-sighted, and unrealistic. Their arguments took up precious time, and delayed what really needed to be done.   
As promised, a doctor came to take care of Dirandau's arm. This one was no more intelligent than the others.  
Dirandau didn't him give any trouble to him....at first.  
  
The doctor took off the cravat, and looked it over.  
Doctor: "Does it hurt much?"  
He pressed it lightly. He received a slap.  
Dirandau: "Only when you press it like that...baka."  
::"Why do they have to choose such idiots for doctors?"::  
  
Doctor: "I..uh...I see..."  
He rubbed his reddened cheek.  
Dirandau: "Don't waste time talking about it....just take care of it, so that you can leave me alone.."  
The doctor, not wanting to be slapped again, went about his business quickly and silently. He pulled some clean bandages and a bottle out of his bag. He doused the cloth with liquid, and began to apply it to Dirandau's wound.  
  
Dirandau: "Aya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
Dirandau pinned him to the floor, and gripped him by the collar.  
Dirandau: "What the hell do you think you're doing???"  
Doctor: "I..uh..should've told you that would sting...sorry..."  
Dirandau: "I should kill you!"  
Doctor: "I was just doing my job...you'll get an infection unless I-"  
Dirandau smacked him across the jaw, and stood up.  
Dirandau: "Get out of here and don't ever try to touch me again."  
The doctor, now thoroughly terrified, was happy to comply. He ran out of there as fast as he could, forgetting his belongings.  
  
Dirandau sat back down in front of the fireplace, with some of the clean bandages that hadn't been soaked yet.  
Allen finished his letter. He appreciated what Dryden was trying to do, but he knew it wouldn't work. After what Eries had tried to do to Dirandau, Allen would not willingly let her have him. If she tried to send him to trial, it would certainly be a fixed mockery of the justice system.   
If the word Dryden sent back was 'trial', Allen wouldn't stay another moment. Allen would protect Dirandau no matter what he would have to lose.  
  
He sent for a maid.  
Allen: "Have this sent to the Schezar Estate of Asturia."  
He had asked Gaddes to watch over his home while he was gone. If there was need to escape, he would need his crew as well as the Crusade.  
  
She bowed, took the letter, and walked out.  
  
Now that he was finished, he decided to head back to his room. Under the circumstances, he'd decided that he and Dirandau should share a room...that way, if anyone did try to kidnap Dirandau, he would be right there to stop them.  
  
He was surprised that there was no evidence of struggle.   
Dirandau had sat back down at his place in front of the fire. He gazed at the flames. Such beautiful flames...  
  
Allen: "Thank you for not giving the doctor any trouble."  
Dirandau: "The man was a complete idiot. I should've killed him.."  
Allen: "Yes..but you didn't....that was good self-restraint."  
Dirandau nodded.  
Dirandau: "My patience is astounding..."  
Allen had trouble keeping himself from laughing. Sometimes, Dirandau didn't realize how amusing he could be. Allen sat down at a table.  
  
Dirandau: "Don't send anymore doctors for me.....I know more about taking care of wounds than they do."  
Allen: "Fine. But, please, at least let this one come back to check on it later, alright?"  
Dirandau: "He won't be coming back.."  
Allen: "What do you mean by that?"  
Dirandau: "Oh….he just sort of…..left…"  
Allen: "Dirandau, you....did let him take care of that wound, didn't you?"  
Dirandau: "Of course not! Do you have any idea what he tried to do to me??"  
Allen: "He's a trusted doctor...I'm sure that he wasn't doing anything unnecessary."  
Dirandau picked up a bottle of the antiseptic and chucked it in Allen's direction.  
Dirandau: "He tried to put that stuff on me! It's poison...or something....."  
Allen looked at the label on it.   
Allen: "Antiseptic? Dirandau, you should have let him use this stuff...if you get an infection, you might have to have your arm amputated. Even I know that...."  
He was very surprised. Usually, members of Zaibach knew a lot about medical science.   
  
Dirandau: "Shut up. Nothing that hurts that much could do me any good."  
  
Allen doused some extra bandages in antiseptic, and sat down next to Dirandau. He took Dirandau's arm.  
Dirandau: "Allen....don't you dare..."  
Dirandau could see that Allen wasn't going to listen. He pushed him away, and ran towards the door. Allen ran after him, and a wrestling match began.  
Allen won in the end....as usual. He pinned Dirandau to the floor.  
Dirandau: "Allen...Allen.!!! Don't....please…..go away.....just-"  
Allen: "Sometimes it hurts to get better..."  
Dirandau: "Allen..please...don't...."  
He was now pleading with Allen. Allen obviously wouldn't listen. He shut his eyes.  
::"Why can't I get people to stop hurting me??"::  
He quit struggling for a moment. Allen took this opportunity to apply the antiseptic. He finished as quickly as he could, though it wasn't quick enough for Dirandau's taste. Great screaming filled the halls...it was terrible..  
  
Allen let Dirandau get up. He clutched his arm in agony. He tried to tear the bandage off, but Allen clapped a hand over it.  
Allen: "It will stop hurting eventually."  
Dirandau: "No...nothing ever stops hurting..."  
Allen sighed.  
::"Sometimes he's wiser than I give him credit for..."::  
Allen put his other arm around Dirandau's shoulder.   
Allen: "Your wounds are deep, and not heal-able alone. But, if you'll let me...I'll try to help..."  
Allen's men were more than happy to hear from him. They hadn't been working ever since the war had ended. Allen had been too busy at home to do anything with them. And, much as they liked being able to get drunk every night without fear of having to work with a hangover, it was getting a bit boring. They had hopped on the Crusade before Gaddes had been able to finish the letter, and headed off for the Fassa estate.  
They reached it about two days later.  
  
It was three days after that, and there was still no word yet on what Eries was up to. They could not do anything but wait.  
Unable to handle the waiting, Dirandau had gone about the house, terrorizing the maids, and causing whatever destruction he could. When he set the library afire, Allen decided that this was enough.  
For the time being, Dirandau wasn't allowed to wander off by himself. Allen did his best to keep Dirandau busy.  
They were now engaged in a chess game.   
  
Dirandau: "Good move, Allen....but, not good enough!"  
Dirandau laughed as he captured a bishop which Allen had left wide open.  
Allen: "You fight well, Dirandau."  
Dirandau had fallen for a trap. His queen was now in the line of fire. Allen captured it with a knight.  
Dirandau looked shocked.  
Dirandau: "Rrrrrrr...."  
Dirandau took the knight with his king.  
Dirandau: "Allen...this is you..."  
Dirandau then proceeded to smash the knight to pieces.  
  
Allen: "I see that we won't be playing a second game."  
Allen took a rook with one of his bishops.  
Allen: "Check."  
Dirandau stared at the board. Most of his pieces were gone. He was obviously out of practice...he used to be able to beat Folken all the time.  
There were only a few moves that he could make, and none of them would turn this game around.  
Allen: "Well? Make your move."  
Dirandau smiled, nodded....and flung the board to the other side of the room.  
He sat back in his chair.  
Dirandau: "Your turn."  
  
Allen sighed. Dirandau didn't even have cause to be angry, and he was acting like this. Allen wished he could just understand Dirandau.  
It was like seeing a blind man, wandering through an unfamiliar place. It looks quite awkward, and his actions make no sense unless one understands that he is blind. One can't do much to help unless one understands the blindness.  
Allen sighed.  
  
The door opened, and Gaddes entered....with a letter.   
Staying as far away from Dirandau as he could, he handed it to Allen, without so much as a greeting.  
He knew that Allen was very anxious about this...he wouldn't give any delay, no matter how small.  
Allen quickly began reading.  
  
Dryden apologized for not coming in person. He would be extending his stay at the capital for a little while more...he'd begun talking with some others who had problems due to Eries' and the counsel's decisions. He was fascinated by how much damage this bureaucracy was doing.  
The fight had been long and hard-won. Every one of those leaders was just like Eries...prim and prude when it came to doing anything which they, in their glorious paranoia, deemed to be not of the people.   
"I asked them if they could possibly get an autograph from 'The People' for me, because they seem to be fans of this group...maybe it's a bunch of singers or something..."  
In the end, Dryden had convinced them that, because Dirandau hadn't done anything thus far, there would be no action necessary. As for his war crimes, Dirandau was obviously in no state to commit anymore. Judging from his health as of late, he couldn't endure a trial.  
It was decided that charge of Dirandau was to be given completely over to Allen Schezar. His citizenship papers were now being put in order [He had to be a citizen in order to be able to stay in Asturia.]. It was promised that they would be done in a day or two.  
"Which means that they'll probably be ready in about two weeks. You'll receive a summons when everything is ready."  
They used the Crusade to get back to the Schezar estate. Dirandau hadn't seen any kind of ship in ages, so he went about, checking everything out. It made some of the men nervous....they would rather not have the ship taken apart while they were on it.  
  
Allen and Gaddes stood next to eachother in front of the large window, watching everything pass by.   
Gaddes: "Uh...boss? There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about...."  
Allen: "Hm?"  
His mind was on other things. He was very happy, and relieved...the biggest hurdle that had been in his path was now gone.   
Gaddes: "Should I still call you Boss?"  
Allen: "What are you talking about?"  
Gaddes sighed.  
Gaddes: "Much as I hate to say it, you've changed....you're pouring all your energy into taking care of that little brat."  
Allen: "I'm the only one who can help him. He really needs my help."  
Gaddes: "Alright, so maybe he does...that's fine. You're really living up to that whole 'honorable knight' image by helping him. But, what about your job, your title? What about us? We are your crew, Allen, but we can't just sit around doing nothing because you're too busy at home.."  
Allen: "Gaddes, what are you driving at?"  
Gaddes: "I....I think we should get re-assigned...to someone else..."  
Allen wasn't sure what to say.  
Gaddes: "It's not just me....the others have been talking. They think you've gone crazy."  
Allen: "Gaddes-"  
Gaddes: "Boss, we used to be such a tight-knit crew...they think you've abandoned them. And...well, it's just my personal opinion, but that psycho is ruining your life."  
Allen: "Gaddes, please-"  
Gaddes: "Boss…….Allen.......I'm only speaking as...as a good friend......whatever you decide to do with your life, I'll hope we can still remain friends. I just...thought you should know...."  
Allen smiled half-heartedly.  
Allen: "Thank you for your friendship, Gaddes.   
  
Dryden had begun fighting a myriad of other cases [much to the dismay of his personal assistant]. He became a sort-of self-proclaimed public defender.  
  
The news about Dirandau spread like an eagle's wings through all the gossips of Asturia.   
[Gira was absolutely mortified. After what Dien had told her, she'd had nothing but nightmares about Dirandau coming to slice her head off.]  
Thanks to Dryden's magnificent public relations skills, the people had reacted exactly as he had promised Eries earlier. She was completely shocked, but not displeased. True to her appearance, she only cared about the people....if they were appeased, she wouldn't do anything to cause anyone more trouble.  
The other bureaucrats of the council, however, were not so pleased. They disbanded shortly after Dryden began defending these people. They felt that he was controlling things, behind the scenes, and they disliked it. They formed their own political group, to fight against this, and try and make the republic exactly what they wanted it to be.   
No one missed them. Now that they had left, things could finally start to get done.   
Half the cases were thrown out...and many others were sped up. Allen didn't have to come back to the capital to deal with Dirandau's case. Dryden got Dirandau's citizenship papers completely in order, and sent them to the Schezar estate.  
  
Allen had been avoiding telling Dirandau about citizenship. He knew that Dirandau would absolutely detest this, but it was a necessary thing to do.  
::"I'll tell him now..."::  
He'd been watching Dirandau sleep, peacefully. At least, this could be considered peaceful for Dirandau. He never seemed to get enough of a nightmarish existence. He had to continue that in his sleep.   
Sometimes, he talked in his sleep. He'd be calling for his men....  
  
Right now, he was quietly laughing.   
  
He shouted something unintelligible, then made the motion of slapping someone.  
He had thrown so much energy into that motion that he landed on the floor, amidst his cover and sheets.  
Allen rushed over to help him.  
Allen: "Are you alright??"  
  
Dirandau was still laughing.  
Allen: "What happened?"  
Dirandau: "Van...."  
He smiled.  
Dirandau: "I was back at the Vione....Van was my prisoner.....and I just-"  
He made the motion of slapping again.  
Dirandau: "And his head flew off, and rolled to the floor."  
He cracked up laughing again.  
Allen: "Oh..."  
Allen wondered if Dirandau would ever get over this obsession with Van.   
  
Dirandau blinked, as if he had still been asleep and was just awakening now.  
Dirandau: "Why are you here?"  
Allen: "I was just worried-"  
Dirandau: "Allen...you haven't left me alone for weeks...or was it months? If I have to wake up with you watching over me one more time, I swear, I'll just.....RRrrr...."  
Allen laughed, trying to break up the angry tension.  
Allen: "I'm sorry, but can you blame me? Who wouldn't want to spend time with adorable little you?"  
He ruffled Dirandau's hair.  
  
Dirandau: "RrrrrrRRRRRrr…….DON'T DO THAT!!!"  
He smacked Allen with a pillow.  
Dirandau: "I'm serious.....can't you just leave me alone???"  
Allen: "I would...but then I have to worry about whether or not my insurance man will try to kill me.."  
Dirandau whacked him again. Allen picked up a pillow, and started defending himself.  
  
Dirandau: "I can't stand the sight of your face anymore......I guess I'll just have to bash it in…."  
Pillow-feathers were flying everywhere, like white, fluffy, rain.  
Dirandau managed to knock Allen to the floor.  
  
Allen sighed. At the moment, his was not a disposition for fighting.  
Allen: "Fine. You win."  
Dirandau: "Good."  
  
Dirandau sat back down on the bed. He looked at Allen...whose hair had millions of pink and white little feathers stuck to it. Allen looked absolutely ludicrous.  
  
Dirandau: "You look like a snowball…."  
Allen picked up some strands of hair and looked at them. He shrugged.  
Allen: "Oh well.."  
Dirandau blinked.  
Dirandau: "But, won't it be hard to get all that out of your hair?"  
Allen: "No….watch this."  
He bent his head down, and flipped his hair over to the front. A few shakes of his head, and all the feathers fell neatly into a pile…every last one of them.  
Dirandau blinked again.  
Allen: "Hey...you don't think I'd have hair this long without having learned a few tricks for dealing with it, do you?"  
Dirandau: "I..uh….guess not….."  
Allen smiled.  
Allen: "The maid is going to have a conniption fit when she sees this mess. I'd get out of here for awhile if I were you…unless you want to deal with her."  
The two walked all around the estate, finishing up that tour that Allen had tried to give earlier. All the while, Allen was trying to think of the best way to talk about the citizenship with Dirandau.  
  
He felt badly for Dirandau. He kept thinking of how he'd react, if he were in that same situation…he'd probably have gone crazy long before this. But, if he hadn't…he might upon receiving this news.  
  
They ended up in the garden again.  
:: "I'll just have to come right out and tell him…"::  
  
Allen: "Dirandau, sit down.."  
Dirandau had already been sitting down.  
Allen: "Oh..um………"  
He bit his lip. There was no good way to begin this.  
  
Allen: "Alright…I have some good news…and some bad news- "  
Dirandau: "Which means that it's all horrible, so just get on with it."  
Allen: "Uh..yeah……"  
He tugged nervously at his cravat.  
Allen: "Alright…you remember all the problems we've been having with the new government?"  
Dirandau: "……."  
Allen smiled, attempting to brighten the news he had.  
Allen: "Well……those problems will be over with now. There's just one small hitch…"  
Dirandau rolled his eyes.  
Dirandau: "They want me to do something embarrassing, don't they?"  
Allen: "…..Not quite…..They said that you can stay, but you've got to be a citizen, under my care…"  
Dirandau stared at Allen for a moment, disbelieving. Then he came back to his senses. He sat back in his chair, his eyes resuming that cool, angry temperance. He stayed silent for a minute or two.  
  
The silence worried Allen. It would be fine if he had started ranting and raving. That was expected, Allen knew how to deal with that. But, when he was quiet……  
Allen: "Dirandau…don't you want..to say..something?"  
Allen's question yielded more silence.  
Allen: "Dirandau, I think-"  
Dirandau: "What…did you say?"  
He sounded angry, quite dangerous. Allen looked at him quizzically, not knowing what should be said.  
  
Dirandau: "I only respond to the title 'Dirandau-sama.' Understood?"  
Allen: "Huh?"  
Dirandau walked up to him, hate welling up in his eyes.  
Dirandau: "I want my tiara back. And my uniform. And my title. They are mine, just as they always have been."  
Allen: "Well, as for your uniform, it was burned…Serena decided that she didn't like it, so she burned it as soon as she got the chance. And your 'title'…I never call anyone by false title, not under any circumstances. And, your tiara….you can have that back, if you like. Though, I don't know why you would need it now…"  
Dirandau: "I need it now more than I've ever had need of it before!"  
Allen sighed.  
Allen: "I had thought you'd gotten over these few trifles. I can see I was wrong. It's a shame, because you were doing so well."  
Dirandau: "Don't talk to me like I'm some invalid child!! I'm not, I never was, and I can't stand to be talked to that way anymore!!"  
Dirandau started to walk away.  
  
Allen sighed.  
Allen: "And I thought you'd come so far these last few days…"  
He had almost been talking to himself.  
  
Dirandau stopped. A smile crept acrost his face, and he began to laugh…the joke was too good not to laugh at it…  
Dirandau: "Oh, yes!! I've come such a long way………..gone from captain of an elite corps to invalid ward of an enemy idiot……."  
Lady Irony does have such a delightful sense of humour! She must love Dirandau very much, to show him full-scale what she does best.  
  
Allen started to move closer to Dirandau. He put out a hand, motioning for Allen to stop.  
Dirandau: "Don't come after me…unless you want your hand bitten off……..that's right, I bite people now. The only defense I have left, because I don't have a sword…"  
Dirandau grimaced. He knew full well how pathetic that was.  
Dirandau: "Don't help me, Allen. Don't do that anymore…..I don't want it."  
Allen: "You may not want my help, but you need it."  
  
It was true, but Dirandau refused to believe it. It's amazing, sometimes, what the mind can do…make one thing true and then another. Denial is possibly the greatest of mental powers that anyone can possess. It can make the suffering and weak into something stronger, can make a terrifying experience into a blessing. It can change the world into anything which the believer deems fit.  
  
He felt a bit weak. Keeping up this cocky attitude in such conditions was too much.  
  
Dirandau: "I…don't….want…help…..from you……"  
Allen: "Well, that's too bad. I don't give up so easily."  
Dirandau: "If I have to give up respect for sympathy, for compassion, I'll just keep respect…."  
Allen: "Respect?"  
  
Dirandau shut his eyes.  
:: "You don't even seem to know the meaning of the word….."::  
  
Dirandau: "Yes, respect. What I have for Zaibach. What my Dragonslayers ha….had for me. "  
He had to be very careful when talking about his Dragonslayers. If he wasn't careful, he might have forgotten that they were dead. Though he would have gladly fallen into that belief, it was impossible….Allen would be quick to remind him of the truth.  
If that happened, he would have to endure the same agony as when they actually had died…all over again.  
  
Allen: "You….respect Zaibach….."  
Dirandau: "Of course I do! It's my country…….At least there, I was treated like a human being…..a man……and my merits were honoured."  
  
Allen shook his head. Dirandau blindly worshipped Zaibach….this country which had done excessive harm to him. Allen hated trying to destroy that faith. Dirandau had precious little which he could believe in.   
  
Allen: "You really think that everything they've ever told you is true?"  
Dirandau just stared at him for a moment. It had never occurred to him to question anything they'd told him.  
Allen: "Do you really think that they'd do all that work on you, and just let it go to waste? Tell me, just how did you get to be a captain?"  
Dirandau: "I was promoted….the same as anyone else…"  
Allen: "Did you have to take a test of some kind? Or prove that you would be able to handle the job through ceremony?"  
Dirandau: "No."  
Allen: "Hmm...now, that's interesting….just what did they base it on?"  
Dirandau: "Past...merits….."  
Allen: "Do you remember what they were?"  
Dirandau: "No, I don't. They…never told me…."  
Allen: "So, in essence, they promoted you for no reason whatsoever. Did they promote anyone else like that?"  
Dirandau: "……no……."  
Dirandau walked through the doorway, and slumped to the floor. There seemed to be an endless supply of these horrible realizations.  
  
No matter what else had happened to him, he could always take pride in his accomplishments…and now he was to doubt whether he had accomplished anything at all.  
There was reasonable doubt as to Allen's words…he didn't have to believe them. It was possible that he'd earned his position. But, one lesson he had spent a great deal of time learning is that the worst possibility is almost invariably true.   
  
He began to wonder…just how much of what he believed was true? If he'd been given the chance, could he have passed on his own? Could he do anything on his own?  
Was he really just some little invalid pawn, only capable of doing what they wanted him to…a slave?  
  
He didn't know what to do. No past, no future. Hell, he didn't even have a present….unless you counted the situation in Asturia a good life. His past was a lie, and his future….what kind of future was there for someone like him? He could only exist in the Zaibach Empire, during a war. And now both of those were gone. Like one of those creatures bred in captivity, who can not be released into the wild, because they can't fend for themselves.  
They never even gave him a chance……  
Allen didn't wait long before sitting down next to Dirandau.  
Allen: "I'm sorry."  
Dirandau: "For what?"  
Allen: "Everything you've been through."  
Dirandau edged away from him.  
Dirandau: "I don't need your pity."  
  
Allen: "It isn't pity that makes me want to apologize."  
Dirandau: "Shut up….you're such a terrible liar, Allen. You always have been. You feel sorry for me…I can't do anything and I have nothing, except what you'll deign to allow me to have…."  
Allen: "Perhaps that is true, but so what? It's not your fault. It isn't your fault what they've done to you, either."  
Dirandau brought his knees up, and laid his chin down on them.  
Dirandau: "That doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt…"  
Allen looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.  
  
Allen: "You've been through a lot. Things which most people would be faint of……it takes a lot of endurance to survive the way you have."  
He moved closer to Dirandau.  
Allen: "In fact, most people would have just cracked under the pressure. And, as I understand it, you were about the only one who could stand what they did to you….all the others were either killed by the sorcerers experiments, or they completely lost their sanity."  
Dirandau laughed.  
Dirandau: "You might want to re-think that last one…."  
Allen: "You're not insane."  
Dirandau: "Yeah….I'm not crazy, I'm just gifted."  
Allen couldn't help but laugh.  
Allen: "I meant what I said. You aren't crazy. You are coherent and intelligent…yes, you do some psychotic things, but those are understandable. You aren't what people say you are."  
Instead of helping Dirandau feel better, which was Allen's intention, this made him feel much worse.  
Dirandau: "So…then I have no excuse. I'm not even some damnable little freak, I'm just the product of someone else's deranged mind. I'm….nothing……."  
Allen: "You aren't nothing."  
Dirandau: "Do you have any idea what this is like?? I'm not even supposed to be here...I was 'created' from someone else. My thoughts never mattered, my actions were never my own. I haven't done anything…but what…what they…wanted..me to……..."  
  
Dirandau stared at him, almost imploring. But, how could anyone else know how this felt? Dirandau already knew that Allen couldn't understand it…that pain that just sits in the back of the mind where no light can reach. It was there, but he couldn't see it. He could only feel it…..And nobody else would ever have to feel anything like that.  
Those bastards..the sorcerers…..they should be feeling this…..not Dirandau..  
  
Allen: "I may not know exactly how it felt to endure your trials, but I can understand how horrible they must have been. Everyone has horrible experiences…some more than others. Some of us lose our reasons to live. Some never really had any in the first place. But, as always, when we finally realize what's been wrong in our past, we can start to change things….."  
Dirandau: "I can't change anything….I'm not here….I am nothing…."  
  
Allen threw his hands up in the air.  
Allen: "If you keep talking like that, then you truly are nothing. Don't you realize…..now you have a chance to find out what it is that you really want to do? Even if your past was controlled, your future is uncertain, and entirely at your command."  
Dirandau: "Not entirely…..I would still have to worry about your government."  
Allen: "Yes, but it is getting better…..they are overcoming their prejudices against you. Things will become better still.....and it will only be you who keeps yourself from doing anything."  
Dirandau: "But, what about-"  
Allen: "Listen….sometimes, you have to take chances to get where you want to go. Just take that chance. I'll be there to help you if you need me."  
  
Dirandau looked calm now. Ever so calm.  
Allen was giving him one thing no one else would ever give him, could ever give him….a chance….  
  
Dirandau: "Maybe….I will…agree to those terms after all…."  
{{I'm probably not going to drag Serena back into this, after all. I didn't know if I was going to, which was why I typed that in the notes at the end of last chapter........but now, she just doesn't seem to fit in anymore.... plus I just don't want to deal with her anymore. ((I should probably apologize to any Serena fans for how she's been portrayed...that's just the way I think Dilly would think of her..))  
  
Wow....someone actually feels sorry for Serena. :  
:Grins:: Okay, so now I know that I didn't completely vilify her…yay!  
  
::Sighs::  
Al, I'll promise you this: I won't needlessly kill Van. Unless it is necessary to the story, [Which it probably won't be] I will not kill him. I understand how very annoying it is that in fics so many people give someone like Dirandau the chance to kill someone like Van, just because he wanted to and couldn't do it in the series. And, I don't exactly hate Van either. I just don't think he's very interesting. Even though he did make Dilly-sama mad by giving him that scar, and slaughter all those DSlayers, he was only defending himself. [Dilly-sama was, after all, trying to kill him.] But, I won't promise not to kill him just yet, because I don't know what I'm going to do next.  
So, don't worry, alright?  
  
And, yes, Dryden is highly neglected in fan-fics! I love Dryden.....he's rich, he's witty, he's happy....and how about that lovely wardrobe? :-)  
  
Of course, there is someone who's even more neglected than Dryden....and that is Prince Chid......In my opinion, the most adorable character in Escaflowne. I'll probably try to put him in this fic later.  
  
After this fic is done, I may have to get started on some more to see if I can get as good reviews as the ones I got for this story. (I'm toying with the idea of writing about Dilly-sama's past at Zaibach, and one involving Chid and Allen, after the war…..sort of like a trilogy about people related to Allen in some way…{{But, then, I might get started on my original character story again, I don't know.}})  
  
Okay...I've decided. This fic will now have a...::Drumroll:: happy ending....[although, don't blame me if what I think is happy is really not...]  
After seeing the emotional response I could get from people without having to torment them, I've decided that I'll try and be nice...Emphasis on 'try.'  
::Huggles:: Happy trails, until next chapter.}} 


	9. Chapter 9

Dirandau was in the kitchen. He was taking advantage of Allen's offer. "I think I might want to be a chef," he'd said. The truth is, he just wanted the chance to play with fire.  
He 'accidentally' spilled a bottle of oil onto one of the burners. Allen almost thought this was an accident, but he caught Dirandau mouthing the word 'moero' as the flames drove up the side of the stove. Allen sighed.  
:: "He'll never change…" ::  
  
Allen: "Alright, I think that's enough cooking for today."  
Dirandau: "But-"  
Allen: "Dirandau, you've already scorched seven pans to ashes."  
Diandau: "So….?"  
Allen: "They were my cooks best pans! She's going to be very upset with you."  
Dirandau shook his head.  
Dirandau: "What is wrong with these servants of yours, that you always have to worry about upsetting them? You think they'll try to kill you in your sleep, or something?"  
Allen: "Help is hard to find. If we give them too many problems, they'll just up and leave."  
Dirandau: "They can leave?"  
He had been under the impression that servants were more or less just slaves.  
Allen: "Yes. And, since most people don't fancy themselves working for anyone else these days, I won't be able to get anyone new. And if you tasted my cooking, you'd understand why I need a chef."  
Dirandau shrugged.  
Dirandau: "So? I can cook…"  
Allen motioned towards a pile of thoroughly blackened chicken.  
Allen: "If that's an example of your cooking, I think we're both in trouble."  
  
He put some of the salvageable pieces on a plate.  
Allen: "I just hope it tastes better than it looks…"  
Dirandau: "It'd have to…"  
  
They walked into the dining room, and set across from eachother.  
Dirandau: "Do I really have to do this?"  
Allen nodded.  
Dirandau: "Why???"  
Allen: "Because…if you want the people of Asturian society to accept you, you're going to have to learn some manners."  
Dirandau: "I don't care about them accepting me..."  
Allen: "You should."  
Dirandau: "Why?"  
Allen: "Because…if they go against you, there could be great trouble. If they don't think you are 'their kind', they'll do their best to make your life hell, and to get rid of you."  
Dirandau: "You don't mean that. These people are frilly little idiots..they don't do things like that."  
Allen: "When it comes to this sort of thing, these people are cut-throat prigs. Trust me. I know from experience."  
  
There was a look in Allen's eyes…one Dirandau hadn't noticed before. Bitterness and anger being held back.  
Dirandau: "You still didn't answer the question I asked you….what did you do in your past?"  
Allen: "….."  
Dirandau glared at him.  
Dirandau: "Rrrrrrrr……so, you get to know everything about me, and I don't get to know anything about you??"  
Allen: "I don't think you really want to know."  
Dirandau: "That's not the point. I deserve to know. Tell me, now!"  
  
Allen stared down at that blackened char on his plate.   
Black and crumbling, inside and out…burned by a power that can not be comprehended. A life, wasted… lost in confusion…  
  
He couldn't do this, not now…He had to be strong.  
:: "I have to help him." ::  
He still found anger in his past, and in his future…this wasn't good.  
He didn't have time to deal with himself. There were more important things to be done. His help was needed elsewhere, and, as usual, he was not important…it didn't matter if he lived or died, so long as he helped those who needed it.  
  
Allen: "You're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't get angry at you for things in my past."  
  
There was some time of silence. Neither really knew what to say now. Allen was afraid that Dirandau might insult him for this…or that he wouldn't accept him.  
Or…maybe he was just…..afraid….  
  
Allen: "Might we get started on etiquette training?"  
Dirandau: "Huh?"  
Allen: "That's what we were discussing before."  
  
:: "He's trying to change the subject…" ::  
Dirandau: "But, what about-"  
Allen walked over to him, and picked up a fork. He began explaining the differences between all the silverware, and what each was used for.  
Dirandau wasn't paying attention.  
:: "He never tells me anything…..he just asks me questions…and makes decisions for me…Rrrrr…."::  
  
Allen was in the middle of explaining the fishknife.  
Dirandau took the knife out of Allen's hand, and threw it across the room.  
Dirandau: "Allen! Stop this!!!!"  
Allen: "Okay. You're angry. Let's discuss this"  
Dirandau: "No. No more discussing me…I want to know about you, and I want to know now. I'm sick of having to talk about my problems….and how is it you get out of talking about anything that makes you uncomfortable??"  
Allen shut his eyes.  
Dirandau: "Oh…silent when it comes to your issues, huh?"  
Allen started to walk away.  
Dirandau: "Where are you going?"  
Only silence.  
Dirandau: "Allen? Allen, get back here!"  
The slamming of a door.  
Dirandau: "Rrrr….."  
Allen walked quickly to his room, and let himself fall into a nearby chair.  
"Patience…patience……patien-"  
He sighed. That old trick wouldn't help him now.  
  
In fact, none of those old tricks really ever did seem to work…not for him, anyway. For others, they helped to calm and soothe. For him, they were like a leash…to hold his anger in check.  
  
He was like a frozen river. Calm and placid on the surface…so calm, you can walk all over him.  
But, raging underneath…always raging….  
  
Being near Dirandau seemed to bring all this rage out in him. Dirandau was so open with hatred and anger….he was an inferno. And Allen was so close now, he couldn't help but get burned…  
  
In some ways, he wished he could be like Dirandau. If Dirandau could get away from the problems everyone else created for him, he could be happy. If Allen were to get away from the problems everyone else created for him…..it would do no good. He'd just invent more of his own. Or the past would be wrapped around him, blinding his eyes to the present.  
  
:: "There's nothing more to be said here…..don't do this….you have to keep going….you can't stop now.."::  
Instructors used to tell him that while he was running, for his training. He hated running. It always seemed an endless activity…..always endless….  
  
On a table were many letters. He'd told the maid to simply leave them there from now on. He'd been busy, so he hadn't had time to read them yet…but now he needed something else to take his mind off of things.  
There were at least three dozen from some of the young ladies at court. Now that he was actually getting out of the house once in awhile, they had begun writing to him again. He never much cared to open those letters.…these girls could be quite inane and overly dramatic.  
Some bills. Always lots of bills. It was expensive to keep up an estate like this.  
And then….an invitation of some kind, from the capital.  
"Agh…not one of these again.."  
The title 'invitation' was misleading. To be invited to something meant that one had to show up, unless they were on their death bed [And even then, some people were shunned for not coming].  
He opened it up, and was completely shocked. It was for Dryden's coronation.  
A paper fell from the folded up invitation. It was from Dryden.  
  
"Well, well, looks like Eries finally got to me…" he wrote.   
  
He apologized for sending the invitation. He wouldn't have, but he had to. He was trying to make a smooth transition from the way the government worked now to the way it should be run. And, having all the 'war heroes', especially our good knights of Caeli, at such a big boring event was a must.  
"Besides…I just couldn't stand to know that I'm probably the only there who's bored."  
  
He also suggested bringing Dirandau along. This would be a perfect opportunity to start undoing some of the bad public relations that Dirandau had with them.   
  
The coronation would be in five days. He had that long to try and get Dirandau ready for the public.  
Allen: "Oh…..fun, fun, fun….."  
After an 'enjoyable' little discussion, Allen was able to convince Dirandau that it was for the best.  
  
After much trial and error, it was decided that etiquette was just not something Dirandau was cut out for. [The forks remain in the wall as proof..] They gave up on it.  
  
Allen: "Just be sure not to start any fights, and come to me if you have any trouble…and we should be fine…"  
Allen was very nervous. His hands were shaking. He kept undoing and redoing his cravat. With these people, a lot rode on first impressions. If Dirandau did anything wrong….  
He watched Dirandau in the carriage. For the occasion, Dirandau had chosen a militant black suit. It looked very uncomfortable, though Dirandau had no problem wearing it. He also had that tiara back on…  
Allen: "Why are you wearing that thing again?"  
Dirandau: "Because I can…"  
Dirandau didn't want to admit it, but he wore the tiara mostly because he was afraid. He'd never been good at dealing with people, if they weren't under his control.  
Every actor needs a prop. Something to help them play their part better. Dirandau had to play the part of one who was strong, who was unaffected by anything anyone else could do to him.   
It always helped to remind him of who he was….why he had the right to be arrogant….why he was better than all of them…  
The coronation was what Allen was most worried about. If Dirandau did anything wrong, it could be twisted into a sort of 'assassination attempt.' And, Allen wouldn't be there to keep Dirandau in line…he had to stand with the other knights of Caeli, as was customary for ceremonies like this. If anything happened, Allen couldn't intervene. This situation was beyond his control….as usual.  
  
The ceremony took about seven hours in all. [We can only say 'about', because all the scribes had passed out due to boredom at some point…no one else was keeping track of time.]  
  
Dirandau's seat was in Allen's line of vision. Every time Dirandau fidgeted, Allen grimaced. He had to restrain himself from yelling to Dirandau several times.   
:: "Ayaaaaaa!! What the hell is wrong with these people???" ::  
Dirandau looked at everyone else. They were all sitting there, staring up at the podium, looking as if they were intensely interested in what was going on. Well…not quite everyone.  
There were several young debutants seated near him. They kept looking at him, and giggling. Whenever he chanced to look in their direction, they almost died blushing, and tried to hide. He cringed.  
:: "Damned little concubines…" ::  
Amazingly, Dirandau got through the ceremony without incident. It was afterwards that troubles began.  
  
The reception was held in the royal gardens. Allen had intended to stay by Dirandau the entire time, but he had been called away by Eries…she needed to tell him something very important. She looked very sad and tired, more so than usual.  
"Just remember," Allen said, "Don't get involved in any fights…"  
Dirandau rolled his eyes at that.  
:: "More telling me what to do…" ::  
  
After Allen left, Dirandau began to wander about. There was much whispering, and talking behind hands….they were all in a flutter over Dirandau becoming a citizen.  
He turned a corner….where now stood most of the young debutants. They had heard, through their gossip channels, that Dirandau was absolutely gorgeous. They had also heard, from their parents, that he was very dangerous, and that they should stay away from him. But, that only added to the appeal. They were all so bored with their 'every-day' suitors. They wanted something exciting and dangerous.  
  
He found himself beleaguered by them in an instant.  
"Oh….you are as cute as they say!"  
"Yes, yes…even with that scar…"  
Dirandau: "Rrrrrr…….."  
There was much giggling. Some tried to imitate Dirandau's growl.  
"Oh, that was so cute…can you do that again?"  
They began chattering noisily, all at once. It sounded like a waterfall full of chickens, all of them falling over the side at the same time. It was unbearable, and there seemed to be no way out of the crowd.  
He tried pushing them away.  
Dirandau: "Would you…just…get away from…me….!"  
It didn't work.   
Dirandau: "I mean it! Get away from me now!!!!"  
There was some blinking, and a moment of silence. Then it began again.  
"Oh, wow…he can be as loud as they say…and short-tempered…"  
Two of them turned to each other, almost intending him not to hear.  
"Just imagine being in the middle of the woods, and being attacked by someone…how wonderful it would be to have him there to defend you…"  
  
"Hey, Dirandau….do you have a girlfriend yet?"  
Dirandau: "What??"  
  
One of them reached up, and felt his hair.  
"Oh…so soft……"  
"Are you going to let your hair grow, likeAllen's?"  
"Oh, he'd make such an adorable knight!!"  
  
Dirandau: "Alright, that's enough!"  
He smacked that girl dead in the face. She fell over, crying. Her friends gathered around her, cooing sympathetic words.  
The others were enraged.  
"Well, I never!!"  
"How positively rude…."  
"You ought to be ashamed of yourself, striking a poor, defenseless woman.."  
"Poor Allen….I hear he's tried so hard, too…"  
He stared at them, absolutely dumbfounded. They couldn't understand why he'd do something like that? What kind of idiots were these?  
:: "The worst kind.."::  
Dirandau: "Damnit, she deserved it!"  
"Nuh-uh! She was just trying to be friendly…"  
"Oh, girls…don't be like that…you already knew what kind of person he was…"  
"You're right. Alright, we forgive you, Dilly."  
Dirandau: "Dilly???????"  
There was more giggling.  
"Ooh..DillyPickle…why, that'd just fit you perfectly…"  
"La, yes! Because the name is adorable, just like you!"  
  
:: "Aya! Could these wenches be anymore annoying?" ::  
He didn't dare ask the question aloud, for he feared that it might be true.  
  
"Hey, Dilly…why don't you come sit over here by me?"  
"No, no!! He's going to sit by me…"  
Dirandau: "RrrrRRRR! I AM NOBODY'S STRUMPET!!"  
And there was yet more silence as everyone blinked at each other.   
Some whispered, "What's a strumpet?"  
They were about to ask him, when they heard an official calling for a soldier. Because all soldiers were just 'adorable' to these girls, they couldn't help but look in the direction of the call.  
  
They weren't paying attention, which was to Dirandau's advantage.  
He dropped to the ground, and began crawling away.   
When they looked up, their precious 'Dilly' was gone.  
  
After a moment or two, he got through the crowd. When he stood up, someone noticed him.  
"There he is!!!"  
They began to run after him. He was amazed that they could be so fast in those corsets…  
  
He saw an alcove, and ducked into it. It was dark, so those following him couldn't see that he'd gone inside. He sighed with relief as soon as he heard them pass.  
  
Dirandau wasn't the only one who had seen the alcove as a good place to hide. Someone else had needed a break from his cat-girl.  
  
Van was standing on the other side of the alcove, trying to peer through the foliage to the other side. He was on the look-out for Mereru.  
Van: "I should really send that girl on a vacation…"  
  
Dirandau blinked. He couldn't believe his luck! Van…………his hated enemy…just standing there, unsuspecting…  
Dirandau laughed quietly.  
:: "Perfect!!" ::  
  
He picked up a nearby rock, and began to slowly approach his victim. Before there was a chance to fight back, Van was lying, barely conscious, on the ground.  
  
Dirandau sat down next to Van, smiling.  
Dirandau: "Oh, how sad….a rock just fell out of the sky like that….and hit you.."  
Van moaned. Dirandau snickered.  
Dirandau: "I'll bet you miss Folken right about now, don't you? He was always saving you…."  
He smacked Van just for the hell of it.  
  
Dirandau: "Hm….I tell you what….I'll draw your blood with that which has drawn the blood of those better than you…"  
One doesn't spend so much time with the lady Irony, without learning a few of her tricks. And, she would have smiled at this one…using the same sword which had started all this pain to end it.  
  
It's a hefty price one must pay, for ruining such perfection. Van's life was but a tiny fraction, when compared to Dilly's. Every time he saw Van, all he could think about was how much it had hurt when Van cut him, and the hellatious torment of seeing his Dragonslayers slaughtered.  
Dirandau picked up Van's sword.  
He inspected it for a moment, smiling.   
Dirandau: "I'll bet it's still sharp…"  
He slowly ran his hand along the edge of the sword. Indeed, it was just as sharp…  
  
Dirandau: "Aya..!"  
Without realizing it, he'd made a slice in his palm. He stared at the blood dripping for a moment. It stung, badly.  
:: "Rrr….Another one....Allen will probably want to fix that later…"::  
He looked down at where the gash had been, the one Allen had taken care of. It was feeling much better…soon, it wouldn't hurt at all. Allen had done that. Allen was responsible.  
Allen knew well how to heal Dirandau's injuries…injuries of any kind.  
  
:: "He's done a lot for you, you know…" ::  
Dirandau blinked. For once, it wasn't someone else's voice in his head…it was his own.  
  
If he did this now, it might undo everything Allen has tried to do for him. Allen had been kind to him, he couldn't deny that.  
He wasn't exactly sure what would be counted as something that would offend these society people, but he was certain that killing Van would be one of them. And, they'd all know that it was Dirandau who had done it….who else would have wanted to?  
  
He looked back down at Van, who was starting to come around. This was his chance to complete the task which was so long in coming…the chance to avenge his men...to get revenge for his suffering.  
He raised the sword. It stayed poised in the air.  
  
Van's eyes started to flutter open. In a moment, Dirandau wouldn't have a chance to kill Van. Van would scream, and then everyone would be alerted.  
  
:: "Your future is entirely at your command…" ::  
  
Dirandau sighed. He realized that killing Van wouldn't bring his Dragonslayers back, or get rid of that scar. It wouldn't make anything better. On the contrary, killing Van would only bring more troubles…….he just couldn't do it, not now. Not after everything Allen's done for him. He brought the sword back down to the ground.  
  
Van sat up, eyes wide. One minute, he's standing near a bush, the next, he's on the ground sitting next to his worst enemy.  
Van: "What the………..?"  
  
Dirandau glared at him. It wasn't fair…it just wasn't! He had the chance to kill Van…Van!!! That one single soul whom he'd wanted to destroy more than anything….to erase from existence… and he had to throw it away!!  
Dirandau: "Rrrr….."  
  
Van: "Uh…what's going on?"  
Dirandau: "Did you have a nice nap, you little prig?"  
Van rubbed his head.  
Van: "What happened?"  
He looked at the sword.  
Van: "Great…first chance you get, you decide to come and kill me?"  
Van wasn't exactly afraid. He knew that if he called, someone would come to help. There wasn't much danger….but still…a time might come when there would be no one to call, and he would be defenseless again…  
  
Dirandau sat silent for a moment. He couldn't let Van know what had happened. He wouldn't let that idiot have the satisfaction of knowing that Dirandau had decided not to kill him, of his own accord.  
  
Van: "Dirandau….?"  
Dirandau: "Why don't you watch where you're going???"  
He smacked Van hard in the face.  
Van: "What the-"  
Dirandau: "You baka! I thought you were one of those prattling wenches, come and found me…"  
He smacked Van again.  
Van: "You…didn't come to kill me?"  
Dirandau stood up.  
Dirandau: "Of course not….that would be a waste of my time…"  
He'd turned away when he said that. He couldn't say that and not make it apparent that he was lying.  
Van: "Then, why do you have my sword?"  
Dirandau: "Huh?"  
  
He'd forgotten he was still holding on to it. A sword was just such a natural thing for him to hold….as if he'd been born with one in his hand.  
Dirandau: "Oh…..I just need something to beat off those femmes with…"  
Van glared at Dirandau, disgusted….disgusted, but not surprised.  
Van: "You're going to kill a bunch of women just because they like you? How typical…"  
Dirandau: "Rrr…."  
:: "He thinks he knows me…." ::  
  
Dirandau walked over to the foliage, cut a thorny swatch off of a bush. He then threw the sword down, as far away from Van as possible. Even if he wasn't going to kill Van, he would still torment and annoy the idiot as much as possible.  
Dirandau: "Hmm….now I need something to test this out on…"  
He grinned. He knew of a perfect subject…  
  
Grumbling, Van walked over and picked up his sword. When he stood up, Dirandau whacked him in the face, leaving deep scratches, just barely missing one of his eyes.  
Van: "Ay….! What's the matter with you???"  
Dirandau laughed.  
Dirandau: "You might have to wait a few years until we figure out the answer…."  
  
Dirandau then walked away, chuckling.  
Dirandau: "See you around….Van…………"  
  
Van stared as Dirandau slowly faded from sight. Dirandau had just spared him his life….something he hadn't thought would ever happen.  
He hadn't believed what Allen and Dryden had told everyone when he first heard it. He still wouldn't have…if he hadn't seen this for himself. He might have thought it was a trick…but, then what would be more important to Dirandau than killing Van? The damned psycho had been obsessed with nothing else ever since he first got that scar. It hadn't mattered what he lost, or what he had to do…he would kill Van, if it took him his entire life. If Dirandau hadn't taken the chance when it was presented so nicely to him, then there truly was no danger.  
Van: "Maybe he has changed….like Allen said……."  
  
{{See, Al? You can trust me…::Grins::  
I already knew that I wasn't going to kill Van, but I didn't want anyone else to know that for certain.  
  
There is a reason I portray Allen in a good way. I actually like him!!! I don't understand why so many people despise poor Allen. Sure, I don't like how patronizing he is to women…but he's too good of a person to let the rest of his character go to waste. [And, hey, at least he's trying to be nice to women…unlike some people. ::Points to Van::] I just feel ultimately bad for Allen.  
  
Yes, Shrike, I am crazy. Aya!!!!! You come from the land of cravats? ::Grins:: (Don't be alarmed…it's a fop thing…)  
  
Blue Deamon: I know that the first chapter is in the second chapter slot, and vice versa. (::Blinks:: Bitty?)  
I might fix it after I'm done writing the story….but then, I am indolent.  
  
Amanda: thank you…I've only ever been able to read half of 'Crime and Punishment', but from what I saw, Dostoevsky is an excellent writer.  
  
SoulStealer: Thank you very much. I always try to be original. I mean, what's the point of writing fan-fic, if you're just regurgitating things someone else has already written?  
  
There is a major reason why my fic is not typical of Serena/Dilly fics.. I have read a total of….one Serena fic in my entire lifetime, and I will not read anymore. (It was called "Scars on the Heart", by the way…and, it is good, I just didn't like certain things about it.)  
I am very upset by the idea that he is put to the wayside when Serena comes into the picture.  
  
As for the Serena romance thing…..uah?? I hadn't heard about that……..That just makes me feel ill.  
Dilly and Serena seem to be opposites of eachother (Although, we don't know enough about Serena to know for sure what the hell her personality is like. {And, I'm sorry, Serena fans….she reminds me of a Mary Sue. She's loved by all in the series, and she gets rid of a very interesting character.})  
There will be one more chapter in this story….the conclusion. It'll be probably be shorter than some of my recent ones.  
  
I've decided I'll attempt writing both the Chid fic and the one about Dilly's past.  
There are absolutely no fics about Chid on FFN, and that upsets me…plus, I always want to bring something new with my writing, and that would definitely be new.   
It will involve Allen [Of course], but mostly it will be about Chid.  
((::Grins:: Dilly will be making appearances in it, you can bet on that.))  
  
As for the Dilly's past fic…That will cover everything from the day he joined the army to when he makes his first appearance in the show.  
  
One last note….if you like my writing, would you please go to fictionpress.net, and review "The Abyssinian"?  
::Sighs:: Nobody has read it at all there, and I feel kind of bad about it.  
It's the first story I ever wrote. [From about two or three years ago..] It's quite short, but well worth the read. It's about a little cat…and if you wanted to see what I meant about having trouble with happy endings, you should read it.}} 


	10. The conclusion

{{Aya, aya, aya…this has been an interesting fic to write. Now, I hope you will enjoy this last chapter.}}  
  
THE CONCLUSION  
  
Dirandau held up his new sword, smiling. Thanks to the fact that he hadn't killed Van, the "sharp, pointy objects" ban that Allen had imposed was now lifted.  
He walked through the halls, waving it about, remembering old fights…getting back into the feel of it.  
  
He walked by the study…then went back and did a double-take. Gaddes was there, with Allen…who was practically crying on his shoulder.  
Dirandau approached them slowly.  
  
Allen looked up, his face bleary with tears.  
Allen: "Oh...was there anything you needed?"  
Dirandau shook his head no. He looked a little perplexed. It wasn't an everyday occurrence to see Allen cry.  
  
Gaddes: "Then, why don't you leave..??"  
Gaddes was very angry at Dirandau, for dragging on the boss' nerves like always.  
Dirandau: "Rrr……I'm not leaving. Not until you tell me what's going on, anyway."  
Allen: "No..I..won't….."  
  
Dirandau glared.  
Dirandau: "Why won't you tell me?"  
Allen: "It's noth..ing…nothing that you have to…worry about…."  
His words were slightly broken, as he was choked up with tears.  
Dirandau sat down next to him.  
Dirandau: "So..it's this again…..Allen-"  
Gaddes: "He told you that you don't need to know, stop asking him."  
Dirandau: "I don't care if I don't need to know!!! I want to know! I…deserve to know.."  
Allen looked away.  
Dirandau: "You're pathetic, you know that?"  
Gaddes stood up, and approached Dirandau.  
Gaddes: "Leave now, or I'll kill you myself…you're a bastard, if I ever saw one…….what kind of an idiot are you that when you see someone hurt, you feel you have to do everything in your power to give them more suffering?"  
Dirandau: "I didn't-"  
Gaddes: "It's not enough to ruin his life, now you have to torment him when he's going through such a terrible time?"  
Dirandau: "I-"  
Gaddes: "Why don't you just leave? Nothing is keeping you here….except maybe your own selfish love of hurting people."  
  
The two glared at each other for a moment. Dirandau was infuriated…everyone kept trying to force him into what they thought he was….what they believed that he thought, and the kind of person they thought he was. Everyone, except Allen. Allen wasn't trying to force Dirandau to do anything now, and that was why Dirandau didn't avidly try to cause him trouble anymore. If the people he knew didn't hurt him, he wouldn't go about hurting them……  
Which was why Dirandau resented Gaddes' allegations so much.  
  
Dirandau: "Maybe you should leave instead. We talk a lot, Allen and I….and…..that's why I wanted to know…."  
Gaddes: "Yeah….you're just a caring and compassionate kid, right?"  
Dirandau: "I'm not a kid….and….no, I'm not all that caring and compassionate……..but, I don't……"  
He was tripping over his words. He didn't quite know what he was trying to say. He just wanted to defend himself from these allegations.  
Gaddes: "You sure act like a kid…an immature one."  
Dirandau: "As the saying goes, 'when surrounded by immature people-"  
  
Allen: "Will you two please stop this??"  
Allen looked about ready to crack.  
:: "First that terrible news…and then this?"::  
Allen: "Dirandau, maybe you should leave…just for the time being…"  
  
Dirandau glared at the both of them.  
Dirandau: "Leave……..so, when you have problems, you want to get rid of me….because I'm also just a problem, and you don't want to deal with two at once?"  
Allen didn't intend to respond.  
Dirandau: "What is it, huh? Did they decide to banish you to some other country? Give you a death sentence? Because, I wouldn't understand how that feels…."  
Bitter, bitter, bitter….  
  
Allen: "It's nothing of the kind…."  
Allen had difficulty in keeping himself from smacking Dirandau. Dirandau could be the most annoying person in the world sometimes.  
  
Dirandau: "Then…what is it?? Why won't you tell me, damn you?"  
Gaddes: "Because…it's about someone he loves, and you don't understand what it's like to care about someone…to lose them…You never cared about anyone."  
Dirandau looked more hurt than angry.  
Dirandau: "That….isn't true……I care about-"  
Gaddes: "I know, I know…your precious Dragonslayers."  
Dirandau shut his eyes. It was hard to hear them spoken about in such a mocking tone.  
  
Dirandau: "Allen……you are the only person who knows anything about me…and you've done a lot for me....I just……."  
He couldn't find the words he was searching for, because he'd never had call to say anything like them. However, Allen had some idea.  
Allen: "You just…want the chance to be able to repay the favour?"  
Dirandau nodded. He wasn't quite sure if that was right, but…it was better than trying to come up with something on his own.  
Allen: "Then, sit down…"  
  
He then told Dirandau, in a very emotional way, about the relationship he'd had with Millerna. He also told what Eries had said at the reception.  
Millerna was doing much worse than she had been in the past. Her death would surely come within a fortnight.  
  
After he had finished, he expected Dirandau to make some comment about his being a harlot…but, no. Dirandau said nothing of the kind.  
  
Dirandau: "When will you be going to see her?"  
Allen: "Huh?"  
Dirandau: "I mean…if you care about her so much….then of course you're going to visit her…."  
Allen shook his head no.  
Allen: "Not in this case. I'm not allowed to. There's no reason for a Caeli Knight to come visit the queen when she is ill. We are all supposed to be making use of ourselves elsewhere. To make our people feel safer."  
Dirandau: "But, you don't do anything else. Nobody is fighting….you just stay here most of the day."  
Allen: "Yes, but the people don't know that."  
Dirandau: "Forget these damned people! Aya…they must be the most miserable creatures on Gaea….."  
Allen: "In a way, they are. But-"  
Dirandau: "This wouldn't hurt them a bit. You should go anyway. You have a right to."  
Allen: "I have only the rights which they allow me."  
Dirandau: "Then you are a slave…and you are lost."  
Allen looked away. There was a lot of merit to Dirandau's words.  
  
He remembered promising not to let this happen anymore….not to sit quietly by while something else horrible happened. But, when it came down to it, he couldn't change it. It was impossible….absolutely impossible…  
  
Dirandau: "You're not going to get another chance for this. And I will kill you myself if you don't go there…"  
Gaddes: "Oh, that's sweet…."  
Dirandau: "Shut up! I would have to kill you, because, if you don't go and see her, then for all of your talk….you're no more than a shallow hypocrite…..you're life is wasted and far too lonely to be sad….and…then I'll have to deal with you moping around."  
Allen: "….."  
Dirandau grabbed him by the collar.  
Dirandau: "She's going to die, damn it! Stop it with all this pretending..!!!"  
Allen gently pushed Dirandau's hands away.  
Allen: "You don't understand the situation as I do."  
Dirandau: "Obviously not…Because I'm seeing it from afar, I can see what's really going on. You, however, are blinded by your own confusion."  
  
Dirandau gave Allen a shove.  
Dirandau: "You're not going to do anything…"  
He left.  
  
Gaddes stared at Dirandau as he left.  
Gaddes: "Boss….you need to get rid of him."  
Allen: "But, he's right."  
Gaddes: "No, he's not. If you go around listening to him, you're going to get yourself killed…"  
Allen sighed.  
Allen: "It's a poor life to live, if you're always hiding behind a mask of propriety and etiquette."  
Allen got up, and walked to the door.  
Gaddes: "Where are you going?"  
Allen: "To write a letter to Eries…to tell her that I'm coming to see Millerna."  
Gaddes: "Boss….boss…wait.."  
But, it was too late. Allen was already gone.  
  
:: "Rrr…one of these days….."::  
Gaddes stayed in the library a few minutes more, in case the boss had changed his mind, and came back.   
A bit of talking with Dryden, and Allen managed an audience with Millerna. She was, to say the least, glad to see him. Though she was weak, her eyes were bright…and though her voice was quiet and soft, she could still say kind words and have their meaning felt so completely…  
  
Millerna: "Allen……I've missed you…."  
Allen: "I've missed you too…"  
Millerna: "Have you been well?"  
Allen nodded.  
Allen: "I hope that you-"  
Millerna gathered all her strength, and used it to sit up as far as she could…she held her arms out for him. Hesitating, he gently wrapped his arms around her.  
Millerna: "I love you…"  
  
Dryden watched this from the corner. No matter how foppish he was, could not help but be a bit jealous. Millerna practically begged for Dryden to leave when he came to her…..not in words, but with her eyes. And, at the mere sight of Allen…why, she almost looked alive again…  
  
She smiled happily.  
Millerna: "Allen….stay with me…until I sleep…alright?"  
Allen: "Alright."  
  
Dryden smiled. At least she could have a little happiness, just a fleeing moment of it….that was all that really mattered…..  
  
She fell peacefully asleep there, in Allen's arms. He slowly laid her back down on the bed, with as much tenderness as he could muster.  
He looked down at her sadly. Coming here would change nothing. She would slip away, no matter what he tried to do…nothing would save her.  
  
Dryden: "Don't worry. I'm sure she's grateful."  
Allen looked up at him, a bit confused.  
Dryden: "You look like you're waiting for her to say something…"  
Allen: "Oh…"  
He directed his gaze elsewhere. He wasn't quite ready to talk with Dryden.  
  
They passed a few awkward minutes in silence, and another of the royal family came in, informing Allen that his time was up.  
He got to his feet, bowed curtly to Dryden, and left before any more words could be exchanged between them.  
Dirandau: "I suppose you'll be at this funeral all day, then?"  
Allen: "Yes."  
Dirandau: "Oh…so, you'll be giving the maids the day off, then?"  
Allen: "I suppose so, yes."  
Dirandau: "Good. That idiot gardener of yours keeps pestering me. It'll be nice to have a break from that."  
Allen: "Actually, he's staying. He's got to see if there's any way those hedges can be salvaged."  
Dirandau had earlier decided to try his hand at making topiaries. Though they looked interesting, they almost seemed beyond repair.  
Dirandau: "Rrrr…..Then he's going to be trying to come and find me every five minutes, to yell at me….and, I swear, I'll just-"  
Allen:" If Jeri gives you any more trouble, I'll speak to him about that. Don't do anything rash."  
Dirandau: "Heh….then you'll have plenty of things to speak to him about by the time you get back tonight.."  
Allen: "You're coming too."  
Dirandau: "Huh?"  
Allen: "That is…if you want to."  
Dirandau blinked.  
Dirandau: "Why would you want me there? This isn't another of those citizenship things, is it?"  
Allen: "No. I just…I'd appreciate it….having you there with me…."  
This was the first time Allen had ever really asked something like that of Dirandau. Dirandau didn't quite know how to respond.   
Allen: "Please?"  
No reason for him to come other than the fact that Allen wanted him to. Something about this struck Dirandau deeply…freedom. He didn't have to go with Allen. He was free to do as he pleased….  
  
And, right now it pleased him to go with Allen.  
Dirandau: ""A…alright….I guess…I'll go……."  
Death ceremonies were never very long in Asturia. It was much preferred to say a few well-thought out words, and then let everyone console each other. Strangers would lend a shoulder to one another, and come up with words off-hand that any poet laureate would envy.  
  
Dryden spent nearly the whole time in the alcove. For reasons understandable, he wasn't much in the mood to talk with anyone at the moment. He'd deal with this in his own way.  
  
Allen mostly just stood at the balcony, and stared off into the horizon.   
"Just look at that…it seems to go on forever, doesn't it? Forever and ever, unbending. And, all the little ships pass over it…and eventually never see it again…."  
He spoke to keep everything from getting to him.  
:: "Keep talking…just keep talking…"::  
Allen: "Think anyone will ever reach the end of it?"  
Dirandau: "No…nobody ever will."  
  
Dirandau watched Allen, slumped over on that railing…Sad and pathetic…he knew how that felt….  
He looked around, and found a bush in bloom. He cut one of the flowers off.  
  
Dirandau: "You know….flowers…..they represent life….."  
:: "How was it Folken put this…?"::  
Dirandau: "And…..well…..if you take a flower….and cast it to the wind in a place near…where someone died……then…some say that's supposed to……...help them on their journey, to the life thereafter….I mean…it'll help them…er…..damnit."  
  
Allen blinked. This sort of thing was unusual to hear Dirandau talk about. He was trying to help Allen feel better. Even though he had stumbled over the words, he had succeeded.  
Allen smiled, and took the flower from Dirandau.  
Allen: "I think I get the general idea…"  
He tossed it lightly over the side, and watched it float to the ground.  
  
Allen: "Come on…I think I've spent enough time out here for today…."  
As they were walking away, someone recognized Allen, and ran up to him. His name was Liezel…an old friend from his training days.  
  
Liezel: "Oh, Allen! I just heard you were here….how have you been?"  
Allen: "Not very well, but that's changed."  
Liezel: "You must be taking this pretty hard."  
Allen nodded.  
Allen: "I was…but now I've got help."  
Liezel: "Oh? Who is it?"  
Allen motioned towards Dirandau.  
Allen: "This is Dirandau…my brother…."  
{{And, thus concludes this ten chapter story. Now, on to my next works.  
The Chid fic will be entitled, "And Everyone Will Help You"  
The fic about Dilly's past will probably be called, "A weapon of war requires great care."  
[Ahem….okay, so the titles aren't the greatest.]  
  
Okay…please…..no jokes about Allen crying, please. I meant it to be serious, and not to make fun of him.  
Al: Interesting…I never really interpreted that remark about the birdcage as something about women….more about the fact that everyone he cares about either dies or disappears, so he's going to keep her all safe and stuff…  
But, hey, I guess there's no point in fighting about it, because everyone has their opinions and interpretations.  
(Besides that, I can tell that I'm going to lose already, because I don't have my arguments in order, and you're being irreproachable about it.)  
  
And, I am writing that Chid fic…I was going to put him in this fic, but then I started thinking about how he has nothing of his own, and that's when I came up with the idea about giving him his own fic.  
It's sort-of a continuation of this fic, but it takes place some years later. (So, if you start to miss this one, not to worry! There's more to come.J)  
I'm already starting to write it…..Just have to watch the series for some research…and work on my stuff for the navy….and get ready for my school musical…write some other stories…write an essay..….And a lot of other stuff I forgot…..  
But, I will work on it as much as possible….because writing is what I love:-D  
  
And….are there any humour fics that don't treat Allen badly? I've looked for them, to no avail.  
I saw Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers the other day. I had never read the books or seen the first one. So, now I'm going to apologize to anyone who like Aragon for using that as the name of one of the sorcerers. It was just a name I chose at random (Probably was floating around my head because a lot of people I know talk about those stories and characters.)  
  
Okay….Adios, and happy trails 'till we meet again.}} 


End file.
